


With Great Power...

by Jadeys_World



Series: To Be Worthy... [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Angst, Brainwashing, Endgame Fix-It, Fix-It, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, Kidnapped Peter Parker, Mind Control, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Is Still Vulnerable Though Powerful, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Snaps, Protective Avengers, Protective Tony Stark, Self-Sacrifice, Sentient Infinity Stone, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro, Team as Family, Thaddeus Ross is an asshole, Thoughts That Could Be Perceived As Suicidal, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, evil thaddeus ross
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:42:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 104,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23719165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jadeys_World/pseuds/Jadeys_World
Summary: The gauntlet falls into Peter’s hands on the battlefield, and instead of passing it on, he snaps. Through that choice he is burdened with more power and responsibility than he could have imagined. He is going to need Tony and the rest of his newfound family to help him manage it.He's got to learn new facets of his nature, things he never imagined he would face, and he needs to hide from the people that would take him and his new power and turn it into a weapon.Now completeEdited October 2020
Relationships: Peter Parker & Avengers Team, Peter Parker & James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: To Be Worthy... [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1750603
Comments: 818
Kudos: 1544
Collections: Download fics, Stories in which Peter Parker snaps in Endgame instead of Tony Stark.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> October 2020 - I am currently in the process of editing the story to fit with the story canon created with the prequel and upcoming one-shots and to catch some remaining spelling and grammar errors. The changes are small, hardly noticeable, but I want the stories to flow smoothly. If you're here as a new reader, welcome. If you're returning for a reread, hello again. I hope you enjoy this story and series.

Peter blinked up at Captain Marvel, who had landed in front of him. He was hugging the gauntlet to his chest, protecting it with his body as if that could help. He was so far out of his depth that he felt like he was drowning, but he was pretty sure he wasn’t the only one. Everyone here, even the Avengers, were just as lost as him, he thought. This was the craziest thing that had ever happened to him.

He looked up at her, trying to engage his mind to speak. She gave him a small smile, the kind Liz had given him once.

“Hi. I'm Peter Parker.”

She smiled again, but the urgency in her eyes becoming more intense. “Hey, Peter Parker. You got something for me?”

Peter started to push himself to his feet, on the point of handing over the gauntlet and freeing himself of the responsibility of holding it, and then he stopped. His mind flipped back to a conversation he had once on one of the most amazing and mortifying days of his life. Iron Man himself had sat in Peter’s bedroom—his messy and small bedroom, God, Peter, why don’t you ever clean up?—looking at him like he was someone that mattered.

_“When you can do the things that I can, but you don't... and then the bad things happen... they happen because of you."_

He looked at the gauntlet, feeling its weight and power as if it was thrumming through his veins, and then he felt a wave of calm that was totally foreign to him. He didn’t think of the danger he was in or what Tony would call his pure stupidity. For the first time in his life, he knew he was doing the absolute right thing.

It was like an out-of-body experience. He slid the gauntlet onto his arm, cold and heavy but also oddly right. It seemed to shrink, sealing itself against his skin as he lifted his hand.

Captain Marvel reached for him, shock in her eyes, and he heard a bellow echoing to his through the chaos of the battlefield. “Don’t you dare, kid!”

“Sorry, Mr. Stark, I gotta,” he mumbled.

He stared at his hand, the gems over his knuckles, then took a breath and snapped his fingers.

There was a scream unlike anything he’d ever heard in his life; it was inhuman, and only when his head started to swim with the lack of air did he realized it was him making that sound.

 _Weird_ , he thought. _It doesn’t even hurt that…_

Then the pain came. He felt like he was on fire, his skin blistering, scorching, peeling away from his skin to expose nerve and muscles that then burned away until he felt nothing.

He fell back and was vaguely aware of Captain Marvel being blasted away from him by a wave of colored light that spread from him like a nuclear blast. Absolute silence fell then, broken only by a quiet voice that he’d never heard before; it was British, precise, and oddly neutral _. “He’s worthy.”_

He felt his lips move in a whisper, though he had no lips anymore, they had burned away. “I’m worthy?”

There was a sigh, and then he felt nothing at all. The pain was gone, sounds and sights were gone. For the first time since he had been bitten by the spider, since Spider-Man was created, he wasn’t overwhelmed by everything around him.

It was the greatest relief.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You people are amazing. I truly didn't think anyone would read this, but you are commenting and leaving kudos. I can't tell you how much that means to me. I think I will write tomorrow with a whole new level of excitement - which will be an achievement as I am so hyped about this world. 
> 
> I will update again next weekend. I would post more often, but for the first time in years I am posting a story that's not already written, so I have to pace myself. Know that I will be itching to post, though, and I hope you won't mind the wait.

Tony’s eyes were locked on Peter as he sat on the ground, curled over the gauntlet. ‘ _Too young!’_ A voice screamed in his mind. ‘ _He’s too young to be here. What were you thinking, Stark? Look at him!’_

He engaged his thrusters and blasted towards him, but the distance was great, and he felt like he was moving in slow motion.

“Faster, Friday!” he shouted. “Get me to that damn kid.”

“Full thrusters already engaged,” she replied.

“Then make them faster!”

Danvers landed in front of Peter, and Tony felt a twinge of relief. Peter wasn’t alone anymore. He was probably babbling, introducing himself in that hyped up kid-on-a-sugar-rush way he had that sometimes gave Tony a headache and other times made him smile at the pure innocence and enthusiasm of the youth that hadn’t yet been beaten out of him by life. Tony had never been that way. Life had kicked it out of him before he could walk, he thought.

Peter started to get to his feet, his hand twitching as if to give up the burden he should never have held, and then he stopped. Tony knew the battle was still waging around them, people fighting for their lives and the world, but his attention was purely on Peter as he lifted the gauntlet and then slid it onto this arm and lifted his hand.

“No!” Tony thought it had been a shout, but he heard the whisper. He sucked in a breath and then bellowed. “Don’t you dare, kid!”

Danvers reached for Peter, and Tony thought he the kid said something, but he was still too far away to hear.

“Friday, faster!” he urged.

Peter’s jaw set, and then he snapped his fingers.

There was nothing for a moment, and then a scream ripped through the sounds of the battle. It was unlike anything Tony had ever heard. He didn’t even know humans were capable of making such a sound. It held pain unlike anything he’d ever felt or seen in his life. If the kid was in that kind of pain, how was he still conscious? Surely his mind and body would shut down to protect him.

Tony should have put something in the suit for this. Some kind of embedded super-sedative, strong enough to defeat the kid’s metabolism, to shut him down to protect him from this kind of pain. Why hadn’t he thought of it? What was the good of the Baby Monitor Protocol if it didn’t save him from this? It tracked him, told him where Peter was and what he was doing, to warn Tony of the worst kinds of trouble the kid managed to get himself into, told him so he could get there and pull him out of the fire, but he couldn’t get there now. What was wrong with his damn suit?

He saw lights moving up Peter’s arm, the colors of the stones merged into a rainbow that rose up the gauntlet across his chest to the place right over his heart, and then the shockwave came. Danvers was blasted back and then Tony, too. He was within feet of Peter when it happened, and then he was thrown so far he lost track of where he was. He landed hard on his back with such force that he now understood how Rhodey had felt when he’d dead-stick fallen from the sky. Tony was sure every bone in his body had been broken with the force, and when he tried to move, he couldn’t. But there was no pain.

“Get this damn suit off!” he growled, his thoughts too scattered to do it himself.

It receded from him, and he scrambled to his feet, glancing back to see the armor, the one that he’d designed to withstand the worst kinds of impact, looked like it had been crushed by Thor’s hammer.

A small of his mind wondered how he’d survived that, but the most overpowering part of it dismissed the question as he started running. He sprinted, breaths panting and muscles screaming with the strain.

He couldn’t see Peter, though. He couldn’t see anything at all. He seemed to be surrounded by some strange mist that blocked everything within a few feet of him.

“Friday, where am I going?” he shouted and then cursed as he realized he’d lost touch with the AI when he’d shed the suit.

He kept sprinting, and then an orange circle appeared in front of him, rippling and spinning, and Strange Stepped out of it.

“Strange!” he shouted. “What the hell— Never mind, get me to the kid!”

Strange gestured to the portal as if inviting him into his home for afternoon tea. Tony bent forwards like a runner at the finish life, wanting to be the winner in a photo-finish. He felt the disorientation and pressure against his chest, and then he was back on the battlefield, running at a line of people that were gathered around something.

He pushed through them and then skidded to a stop at the horror he saw.

Peter was lying on the ground, eyes closed and face starkly pale. His lips were slightly parted, but Tony could see no breaths moving his chest.

“No,” he groaned. “Please, no.” His knees buckled, and he dropped, his mind swimming with shock and heart throbbing with pain.

“Tony.” There was a soft hand on his face, and it was turned to the side. He saw Pepper, her hair tousled and face pale. She’d shed her suit, too.

“Help him,” he whispered.

“We can’t get close,” she said.

Tony’s eyes snapped to Peter, and he saw what he had missed before. Thor and Steve were positioned as if pressing against an impenetrable glass wall. Thor swung back his hammer and slammed it forward, but it bounced off, and he was thrown back twelve feet, crashing through the people behind him and hitting the ground.

“Peter…” Tony whispered. “Peter, please.”

Steve’s head snapped up. “Again, Tony.”

“What?” he asked stupidly.

Steve pressed his hand up to the barrier in front of him and said, “Say something to him.”

“But he’s…” Tony swallowed hard, unable to finish the sentence that would destroy him.

“Just say it!” Steve snapped.

Not knowing why, it was too late, Peter couldn’t hear him, Tony started to crawl forward, legs too weak to hold him, and said, “Peter, it’s me. I’m coming.”

Steve pressed both hands against the barrier in front of him and then stumbled forwards as it disappeared. He raced forward and dropped to his knees beside Peter. He pressed his fingers to Peter’s pale throat and then placed his hand on his chest. Tony’s eyes fixed on it as he crawled forwards. Peter wasn’t breathing, Tony was sure, but Steve was still working over him. He pulled back Peter’s eyelids and ran his fingers across them and shook his head.

Finally, after an eternity, Tony reached him, falling back on his haunches beside Steve and eyes roving over Peter’s form— _not his body, please don’t be just a dead body…_

He saw the smallest flicker of his chest, the tiniest movement of too young lungs trying to work, and he began to breathe again himself.

Steve leaned closer, ear over Peter’s face, and then straightened and said, “Yeah, you are, kid. You really are.”

“Are what?” Tony asked.

Steve didn't answer at once; he was still trying to rouse Peter, rubbing his knuckles into his sternum with so much force that Tony thought he was going to crush him, and then he nodded and said, "That's it. Just like that."

Tony’s eyes widened as he saw Peter’s chest moving again, rising and falling properly now, real breaths. Tony’s moved in rhythm with his, flooding his brain with oxygen that it had been crying out for.

Tony touched Peter’s face, turning it to him, and stroked his cheek with his thumb, “That’s it, kid. You got it.”

“Can you hear him?” Steve asked.

Tony frowned and leaned close to Peter. He wasn’t speaking, his lips weren’t moving, but Tony hear the words. _“Worthy…”_ it whispered. _“Worthy…”_

It was Peter’s voice, so familiar and missed for the five long years that had still been filled with joy at times through his wife and daughter, but it wasn’t right. It wasn’t the high-speed chatter it had been before. It was slow and steady, formal, and… was it possible that it was wise? How could a voice hold that much wisdom in only three words?

“How is he saying that?” Tony asked. “How is he _not_ saying that? Because that’s not him.”

Steve ignored the question and said, “We need to move him. He’s breathing, but I don’t like the way he’s looking. He needs medical attention.”

Tony looked around him helplessly. He wanted Peter with the best possible equipment and people to help him, but they’d blown with the compound. That was all gone.

“Wakanda,” Steve said, then called over his shoulder. “Doctor Strange?”

Strange walked forward and looked down at them, eyes falling on Peter, and he said, “Wakanda?”

Steve nodded. “Fast. Check his eyes.”

Strange bent and pulled back Peter’s eyelids, and his mouth gave the smallest twitch that broke his usual solemn and calm demeanor. He straightened up again and began to swirl his hands in that strange pattern that created a portal of orange light.

“You want to carry him, Tony?” Steve asked.

Tony reached for Peter, but his hands were shaking so much it was like a palsy. Hating that he had to do it, that he couldn’t even hold the kid the way he longed to, he shook his head and said, “You’ll have to do it. My hands…”

Steve nodded and eased his arms under Peter and pulled him to his chest then got smoothly to his feet. Peter hung limp in his arms, his head lolling over Steve’s arm and mouth slightly open. Tony stood and reached to move it, to settle it against Steve’s shoulder, but before he could force his slow and shaking hand to touch him, Steve was stepping away, though the portal.

Tony didn’t even glance back over his shoulder at Pepper, to reassure or call her to come. He just stepped through the portal, following his kid.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all soooo much for the support you’re showing this story. I truly never expected so many of you to read it. The response on here and FFnet has been overwhelming. Truly, each review, comment, and kudos makes my heart skip. I wasn’t even going to post the story because I was so intimdated by the quality I have seen from others. It was just going to be for Snarks and me to enjoy. I am so glad Snarks persuaded me to take a chance and share.  
> This chapter was beta’d by Snarkymuch, who is queen of commas, and any mistakes that remain are my own.

The moment they stepped into the shining walls of Wakanda’s palace, Steve shouted for help, clutching Peter against his chest. There was a flurry of movement around them and voices shouting in a language that Tony didn’t understand.

A stretcher was wheeled to them by a man, and Steve was instructed to lay Peter down. Tony watched, seeing the hesitation in the Captain before he obeyed, and he wondered if he felt any of the terror and fear he felt. With Peter being held by one of them, even though it wasn’t Tony himself, he felt better than he did handing him over to strangers.

Peter was settled on the stretcher and wheeled away, Tony standing frozen behind them as the kid was moved out of his sight, and then the stretcher skidded to a halt, and the people around it were knocked back a few feet.

There were shouts of shock, and then a deep-voiced male, dressed in a white doctor’s scrubs, looked back to where Tony and Steve stood and asked, "What did you bring us?"

“We don’t know,” Steve stated. “He was wearing the gauntlet when he snapped. It’s done something to him.”

“Peter,” Tony said quietly. “We brought you Peter.” His mind snapped back into action. “Help him!”

The doctor that had spoken tried to move closer to the stretcher and was held back, just as Steve and Thor had been before on the battlefield. Tony couldn’t make sense of his thoughts, just like he hadn’t when they’d been trying to reach Peter before, but now something clicked into place, and he realized it was _Peter_ doing it. Impossibly, the kid was holding them back.

“Talk to him, Tony!” Steve commanded. “It’s you he needs to hear.”

Tony crept closer to Peter, scared he’d be knocked back, too, and said, “Peter, kid, they’re trying to help you. Let them in.”

The tall doctor looked between Peter and Tony and then took a hesitant step forward. When he was able to breach the point that had held him back before, he moved faster, taking the end of the stretcher and pushing it away.

Steve shoved Tony forwards roughly and said, “You’ve got to go with them. He needs to feel safe, and apparently, you’re the one that does that for him.”

Tony shook his head. “Safe…”

He wasn’t the one that made Peter safe. He was the one that brought him into a battle he was too young for. He’d dragged him in when he’d gone up against Steve because he’d thought the needs outweighed the risk; he’d believed it had to happen and that he would protect the kid. But Steve had dropped a chunk of airport on him.

And Tony had not let it end there. He’d not stopped him after. He let him keep the suit, told himself it was to keep Peter safe and that he was going to monitor him with it, when he should have shut the kid down.

“Tony!” Steve shouted when he failed to move. “You care about that kid, right?”

Tony nodded. He cared. God damn him for him, he loved Peter. He’d not seen how much until he was there in his arms, drifting away, and then each day that followed, he had thought of him. When he married Pepper, he’d thought of how good it would have been to have Peter there, too. When Morgan had been born, he’d wanted Peter to meet her. He’d not let himself think it, what he felt for the kid, but Morgan had always been told about her brother, Peter. He’d told her stories and showed her photos and videos. She’d known he was the child Tony lost before she was born, and that he loved her, even though he wasn’t there. Peter had been a part of her life from the beginning, and Tony had missed him. All the pains and joys of those years, each landmark date and anniversary, each birthday party, he’d wanted to share them with his kid.

“I do,” he said.

“Then go with him!” Steve said urgently. “He needs you!”

Tony broke his paralysis and ran after them. He stayed in step beside Peter’s stretcher and said, “I’m here, kid. I’m with you. You’re safe. They’re helping you.”

He was heard, or perhaps sensed, because they were able to move through doors and into a long room lined with hospital beds in cubicles and then to a smaller room with automatic glass doors that slid open at their approach and closed behind them.

Peter was transferred onto a bed and the stretcher wheeled away. There was a flurry of movement around him; his suit was cut away, gelled pads placed on his chest, and a white clamp put on his finger, which created a readout on a monitor, recording Peter’s heartbeat and oxygen sats. His heartbeat was rapid and erratic, and his oxygen levels only 70. Tony knew that was dangerously low.

“He’s hypoxic,” a woman dressed in blue said.

“Get him on one-hundred percent oxygen,” the doctor replied.

A mask was placed over Peter’s face and a dial turned. Tony watched Peter’s breath fog the plastic with each breath, and he counted them. Breath. Peter was breathing. As long as he continued to breathe, Tony could.

“He’s Peter?” the doctor asked, fixing his eyes on Tony.

Tony nodded. “Peter Parker. He always says…” He shook his head. “He’s Peter.”

Peter’s eyelids were pulled back and a light run across them. Closer now, Tony could see what had worried Steve and Strange. His pupils were blown and showed no reaction to the light at all. There was something in them though that Tony leaned closer to see, disbelieving, only for an instant before being pushed back by the woman that was tending to Peter.

The rim of iris that should have been dark brown was a line of light that glowed with a rainbow of colors Tony recognized and felt a shiver of fear for. They were the colors of the Infinity Stones, the colors of the light that he had seen move up Peter’s arm, over his heart, and disappear.

“What is that?” a shocked voice said. “How can they be…”

The doctor held up a finger and snapped. “Quiet!” He stared at Peter for a moment and then said, “Worthy?”

“He is,” Tony said automatically.

The doctor shook his head. “How is he saying it?” He stared at Peter for a moment and then shook his head curtly and said, “Not now. We need to stabilize him. I want a full scan done.”

“His suit,” Tony said. “It’s got tech. But…” He shook his head. He couldn’t connect with Karen without Friday. He needed them to interface together to hear what was happening in Peter. And he didn’t even have his equipped glasses on his to get to her.

“We’ve got our own,” the doctor said as another dragged over a white machine that looked like an x-ray, suspended from the ceiling. He positioned it over Peter and said, “Stand back.”

Unable to move, to risk Peter knocking them all back again, Tony said, “I’m fine. Just do it.”

The doctor that Tony assumed was in charge, as he had been giving the orders, nodded and said, “Do it.”

A button was pressed, and a blue line of light spread from Peter’s feet, running up over his body to his chest, and then the light died as there was a loud bang overhead and sparks drifted down over them all. Tony brushed them away from Peter, scared they would burn him. But he realized they hadn’t made contact with the kid’s ragged suit or skin. They were suspended a few inches above them.

“What is happening here?” a woman asked, aghast.

The lead doctor pressed his fingers to his temples, and then his eyes drifted to Peter’s arm, where the gauntlet was, and he said, “The Infinity Stones! Where are they?”

Tony gasped as he realized what was wrong. The Stones had been there, embedded in the knuckles of the gauntlet, but there were gone.

“They must have been destroyed,” he said. “Thanos did it before.”

“If that is the case, they did something to this boy first.” He took a breath and said, “Let’s get this off.”

He reached for the gauntlet, his fingers holding the wrist, and then there was a strange sound like a sheet being snapped in the wind, and it slipped away. The doctor caught it and eased it away from Peter, exposing the horror beneath.

Peter’s hand was raw and burned with the skin scorched away and bone exposed among the ragged remains of his suit, which spread up his wrist, wounds decreasing in severity as they reached his elbow. Above that, there was a line of black in the scorched material of his suit but no visible wounds.

“Oh god,” Tony breathed. “Peter!”

“We need…” The doctor paused. “We need pain relief.”

“It won’t work,” Tony said. “The kid’s got crazy high metabolism. I had stuff in the lab at the compound that we’d created for him, but it’s all gone.”

“Then we make more,” the doctor said. “And hope that he doesn’t feel it now.”

Tony stared at Peter’s face, taking in his pallor and complete absence of expression. If he was in pain, it would show, wouldn’t it? He had to be under too deep to feel anything now.

He _had_ to be as Tony couldn’t bear to consider the alternative.

“I want his oxygen sats up, I want blood to sequence for pain relief, I want—” He sighed. “I don’t think we can use technology here. We’ve got to do it all from scratch.”

A woman came with a capped needle and tray of vials. She snapped an elastic tourniquet around Peter’s upper arm and patted the crook of his elbow to bring up a vein. When it was bulging, she lowered the needle, but before it could do more than prick his skin, her hand was knocked back, and she dropped the needle with a gasp of shock.

The doctor locked eyes on Tony and growled, _“What did you bring us?”_

Tony spoke through gritted teeth. “A damn hero.”

“Be that as it may, we can’t help him, so you must.”

Tony moved closer to Peter’s head and bent to whisper in his ear. “Pete, if you can hear me, kid, you need to let them help, drop the barriers, or whatever you’re doing.” _What the hell was he doing?_ “They need to take your blood.” He nodded to the woman who was unsheathing a fresh needle, attaching a vial, and approaching cautiously. “Try now.”

The needle touched Peter’s skin, and she was knocked back again.

With a groan, Tony said, “Give it to me. Tell me what to do.”

The woman exchanged a look with the doctor, who nodded and said, “I don’t think we’ve got a choice.”

She handed Tony the needle and said, “Pull the skin taut and insert the needle into the vein at a twenty-degree angle. It will do the rest itself.”

Tony obeyed, holding the skin tight, and then muttered, “I can’t believe you’re making me do this, kid.”

The needle broke the skin, and the vial began to fill with blood. He breathed a sigh of relief and watched carefully as the woman removed the first vial and replaced it with another as Tony held the needle as still as he could in the vein.

When four vials had been filled, she said, “Take the needle out slowly.”

Tony eased it out and dropped it onto the extended tray as if it had burned him. He wanted it gone. The fact he’d had to do that to Peter, because he wouldn’t let someone else, was frightening him. What if something happened and he needed more help? Tony wasn’t a doctor. He couldn’t do this stuff. Peter’s hand and arm—God, those burns—were going to need treatment, and Tony was going to be helpless.

He bent to Peter again and said, “You’ve got to work with me here, kid. You need help that I can’t give. You have to let them do it. You can trust them. I trust them. They’re not going to hurt you.”

He stared at Peter’s face, hoping for some reaction, some sign that he was being heard. There was not even a twitch of an eyelid, but Peter’s voice, strangely altered, spoke in his mind again. _“Worthy.”_

“Yes,” he said, placing his hand on Peter’s forehead and brushing back his hair. “They’re worthy, Pete. Just like you.”

Though what worthy meant, he had no idea. Peter was worthy of so much; he was good and kind and brave, even stronger in heart and mind than in body. He was worthy of the world, but the word was so strange without context. It wasn’t a word Peter would usually use either. It made no sense.

And how was Tony even hearing it, how were any of them, when Peter was unconscious and lips not moving? That was just one of the questions he had, along with how Peter was able to hold them all back from him. And why was it that Tony was the one that could reach him, make him let them through, when he was the one that had let the kid down most of all?

“Get the blood to the lab and have them work fast,” the doctor said, then addressed Tony, holding up a cotton swab. “I’m going to try again. Prepare him.”

With a heavy heart, Tony said, “Okay, kid, they’re going to touch you, and it might hurt, but you’ve got to let them do it.” He smoothed back Peter’s hair again. “You have to trust me, Pete.”

The doctor nodded and then prodded the cotton swab at the center of the burn on Peter’s arm, nudging against raw flesh. The heart monitor jumped, but the swab made contact. Peter was letting them do it.

“That’s it, kid, just like that.” Tony looked up and said, “Can you fix those burns?”

The doctor took a long time to answer, and when he did, it wasn’t the one Tony needed. “I hope we can improve it somewhat, yes.”

“Then you need an expert,” Tony said. He cupped Peter’s cheek and said, “I’ll be gone a minute, Pete, but I’ll come right back. Let them help you. They’re… worthy…” The word fell awkwardly from his lips.

He forced himself to move, to break contact with the kid, and then rushed through the door that slid open at his approach, calling, “Cap?”

Steve had been sitting down under a vast picture window, head bowed and cowl shed. He looked up, eyes intent, and said, “Is he awake?”

“No, which is good because he’s going to be in a mess of pain when he is. His hand…” He grimaced and shook his head. “I need you to get Strange to take you back and track down Helen Cho. Tell Pepper what’s happening and that I’ll call. I need my phone. I have to…” He pinched his nose. “Find Cho first. We need her here.”

“Is it that bad, Tony?” Steve asked.

Tony nodded. “I’ve seen some crazy stuff, bad stuff, but that kid’s…”

Steve nodded. “I’ll do it. But telling them what’s happening— What do I say? Tony, what the hell is happening? What is that kid doing now?”

Tony shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know anymore. I don’t know what he’s doing or how. All I know is that he needs help, and so do I.”

Flying the nuke through the wormhole, he’d been lost. But that was about him. He was the one at risk. Peter, the kid he loved, was doing these crazy things, and he was so hurt.

And Tony didn’t know what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… We have a couple little clues now. What do you think so far? I am stepping out of canon with this story in a big way, and I am hoping you’ll tolerate it.  
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and commenting, bookmarking and subscribing. I am checking my stats every day and I am always blown away by how many of you seem to be enjoying the story. You're making my foray into Marvel an amazing experience.

Tony had lost track of how long he’d been there, just sitting at Peter’s bedside, holding onto the kid he loved like a son and avoiding looking at the horrific state of his hand and arm. They’d covered it with a plastic case to prevent it getting dirty, and the case had a vent attached, which was soaking the hand and arm with some kind of antibiotic and anesthetic mist, but Tony didn’t know if it would work on Peter. He was strong, he healed fast, but he’d never suffered these kinds of wounds before, and they were open, raw, and exposed to infection.

The door opened, and Steve came in. He walked slowly to the end of the bed, cautiously, and Tony said, his voice cracked with strain, “You’ll be okay. He’s stopped holding people back now. At least I think he has.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can’t tell what he’s doing anymore.”

“He’s letting you close,” Steve observed.

Tony huffed a laugh. “Yeah. His first mistake.”

Steve didn’t argue, not that there was any way anyone could argue against that when they saw the evidence of what Tony had caused. Steve knew Peter had been brought into the fight by Tony since it was to fight him that Tony had recruited him. He’d not known, none of them had, how young Peter had been. Now all Tony’s shame was exposed in the childish curves of Peter’s face.

“Doctor Strange is looking for Cho,” he said. “He already brought Bruce here. They’re taking care of his arm. I thought I’d be more useful here.”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “You did?”

“I brought your phone.” He placed it on the end of the bed and bowed his head. “And I thought you might want someone to talk to.”

“Really, Steve, the last thing I want to do right now is talk,” Tony said, the words clipped.

Steve showed no sign that he’d heard the words. He took another step closer and said, “There are things we need to do, and I know now is not the perfect time, but we have to talk about them, Tony. The world is in chaos right now with everyone being brought back, and they need us, the Avengers, to show a united front.”

Tony started to laugh. It was a harsh and sardonic sound, incredulity laced through it. “Steve, we are never going to be a united front. The Avengers are death.” He looked up, his eyes dark. “I made this kid an Avenger, and look what happened to him.”

Steve nodded stiffly, and Tony saw the judgment in his eyes. He already saw it. He saw Peter, young, face smudged with grime from the battle and nose still bloody. “I see.”

“Death,” Tony went on harshly. “You already know about that, though. Do you remember what you did to me when you decided to split the Avengers? Because I do. You left me for dead!”

“I was protecting my fam—”

Before he could finish, Steve was thrown back, though the door behind him, shattering the glass, and landing six feet into the larger room beyond as the heart monitor gave a great leap and an alarm blared.

“No, Pete,” Tony said, on his feet and hand cupping Peter’s face. “Calm down. It’s all good. He’s gone. You’re safe.”

He heard the clink of glass as Steve got to his feet and brushed himself off.

Tony looked between Steve and the kid on the bed, his own heart racing. He heard running footsteps, and the man that had taken charge before, who had since introduced himself as Doctor W’Kebe, skirted Steve and rushed in, shoes crunching on the glass on the floor, and came to Peter’s side.

He examined the monitor that was showing Peter’s racing heartbeat and ordered, “Calm him, Mr. Stark!”

Tony leaned closer to Peter, resting his forehead against the kid’s, and whispered, “You’re safe. We’re both safe. He’s going now.” Without looking back, he waved a hand at Steve to dismiss him. “He’s gone.”

_“Worthy…”_

Tony smiled slightly. “We’re still awaiting a verdict on that right now. He certainly thinks so, though.”

Peter’s heart jumped again, and there was a shout of shock. Tony lifted his head and looked back to see that Steve was on his ass again, skidding across the floor.

“Yes! He’s worthy,” Tony said quickly. “The Cap is worthy. You don’t have to keep him away anymore.”

He looked back to see Steve getting to his feet and walking towards them. Tony scowled at him, warning him away, but Steve only seemed to be testing Peter’s range as he got as far as the frame of the smashed door and then turned and walked away, shoulders slumped.

If the situation had been any different, if Tony couldn’t hear the alarmed rate of the heart monitor, it would have been funny to see Steve defeated like that. But Tony could find no humor in it. The kid was hurting himself to do whatever he was doing.

He retook his seat, keeping one hand on Peter’s uninjured one, thumb rubbing circles on his skin. “If you could stop doing that, Pete, that’d be great. You’re hurt right now, so maybe focus on healing and leave me to keep us both safe. I’ll decide who’s worthy, yeah?”

The alarm stopped, and Peter’s heart returned to its more stable rhythm, though it was still not as even as Tony would like.

“How are you doing that, Pete?” he asked. “Seriously, you were always pretty good at catching me off-guard, but this is a whole new level. And you trashed a perfectly good door with that little trick. Keep it up, and I don’t think they’ll invite us back.”

Doctor W’Kebe cleared his throat and said, “I was coming up to tell you that we have prepared the serum for… Peter.”

Tony frowned. He didn’t like the way the doctor had hesitated on the word. “His name _is_ Peter.”

“I believe it was, yes, but I also think he is something other than a child now, if he was even that before. I think he will need a new name.”

Tony’s color rose. “You can call him Peter Parker or Spider-Man, both are correct, but you’re not going to find some new name to brand him with because of”—he waved his hand over Peter’s still form—“this. You know how he got this way? He was _saving_ the world. He saved your soldiers on that battlefield, too. Whatever he’s doing now, and God knows I am just as confused as you, doesn’t change anything for any of us.”

Peter’s heart jumped again, and Tony quickly gripped his arm and said, “No, no, kid. It’s okay. He’s worthy. You don’t have to kick him out. You don’t have to kick anyone out anymore. I promise you, _everyone_ here is worthy. None of them will hurt you or me.”

 _“Worthy…_ ”

Tony laughed despite himself, the shock of the situation starting to wear off and the reality of the sheer insanity of it settling over him. “They’re all worthy. Everyone here is worthy.”

Peter’s heart calmed as Tony patted his arm.

“That’s right. You’re good. And now we’re going to get you some treatment.”

Doctor W’Kebe looked back and gestured with his hand to two people that had been in the trauma room before that Tony hadn’t learned the names of. They gave the glass on the floor and broken door cautious looks as they came in and then stopped a foot behind the doctor.

“We have created a serum that we think will relieve Peter’s pain and general anesthesia so we can tend to his injury.”

Tony frowned. “What are you going to do to him? We need Cho. She can actually heal him, not just ‘improve.''” He said the word with derision. Peter was coming out of this with a whole and healed hand; that was the only outcome Tony would accept.

“Yes, and we have received a call from your specialist. She is preparing her equipment to be brought here, but she was one of the vanished, so she’s also acclimatizing herself to being back and so is a little disoriented. She has asked us to clean the wound and prepare it for her arrival.” He frowned slightly. “And we will need you to help us do that. Peter will be under anesthesia, but we do not know how his… abilities… work. We do not want to be midway through surgery when he throws us all away from him and destroys the equipment we need to treat him.”

“I’ve got to be in the OR?” Tony asked, cursing the quaver in his voice.

“Is that too much to ask?”

Tony glowered at him. “No. I’ll be there. Whatever he needs, I’m there.”

The thought of having to watch while they did whatever they were going to do—and he’d seen the damage, he knew there was a lot of dead flesh to be removed—was daunting. Give Tony a screwdriver, he was happy, ask him to create an AI interface, he was in his element, but to watch someone cutting away at the kid’s flesh was going to be a whole new kind of challenge.”

“We’ll move him now,” Doctor W’Kebe said.

“Yeah. Hold on. Give me a minute. I want to talk to Cho.” He picked up his phone from the end of the bed and called up Friday.

Her voice came through at once. “Yes, Boss?”

“Find me Helen Cho, Friday. I’m guessing she won’t have her cell with her since she’s been gone five years, but get her.”

“Searching for contact…” Friday said. “I cannot locate her yet. It will require some searching. Would you like to prepare a message for her?”

“Yes, record now.”

“Recording.”

Tony took a breath and spoke in a rush. “Helen, we need you in Wakanda right now. I know you’re dealing with all the crap of jumping ahead five years after being snapped away, but I’ve got a sixteen-year-old kid here that went through the same thing and then proceeded to save the world. Get your tech and bring it here so you can save him the rest of his life with a damn prosthetic arm. Now!” He took another breath. “Okay, that’s done, Friday. Find her and give her the message. Play it on repeat if you need to. Just make sure she’s here fast.”

“Yes, Boss.”

Tony tucked the phone back in his pocket, then leaned closer to Peter and said, “We’re going to move now. I’m going to be right there with you, and they’re going to make you feel better. We’ll get some painkillers in you, and you’ll have a sleep. Okay?”

_“Worthy…”_

Tony stroked back his hair. “You are, kid. No one has ever been more worthy than you.”

xXx

Tony had been instructed to change out of his own clothes and into white scrubs, which had then been covered in a gown and his hair covered with a scrub cap. He felt stupid but didn’t mind in the least since this was one thing he could do to help the kid.

He was given a seat beside Peter’s head, opposite to where they would be working on his hand and arm.

Peter was sedated now, and he’d been given pain relief, which had made his heart rate a little steadier.

“We’re starting,” Doctor W’Kebe warned and then turned to the woman in full surgical gear beside him and said, “Laser scalpel.”

Tony saw a strange instrument being handed to him. It looked like a silver pen with an unusually pointed tip, but with the click of the button, a thin blue line of light came from the tip. Doctor W’Kebe pointed it at Peter’s ravaged hand, and smoke rose.

Tony quickly looked away, but he could smell it, and it made him feel sick. It wasn’t quite charred flesh, it was more metallic, but it still made him feel like he was going to be sick, though what he would lose, he had no idea because he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d eaten.

When this was over, when Peter had two working hands, Tony was buying them both the biggest cheeseburgers money could buy. Or he’d make them himself. He could cook now; he’d learned in the years Peter had been gone and Tony’s life had become domesticity. Or maybe they’d get one of those sandwiches Peter loved from that place in Queens. If it was even there anymore. Had the man—was Delmar his name? He couldn’t remember—been one of the vanished, or had the business not survived the sudden loss of half of its customers? A lot of places hadn’t.

“Prepare for deeper incisions,” Doctor W’Kebe said.

Tony fixed his eyes on Peter’s lax face, his lips parted by the tube that fed oxygen directly into his lungs. He looked peaceful, pale and sick but peaceful, but when the smell increased, Peter’s heartbeat lurched and sped.

“What?” Tony said dumbly, looking around to see if anyone had been knocked back again. They were still there, but they were watching Peter cautiously. “I thought you put him under?”

“We did,” the anesthesiologist behind Peter’s head, monitoring the machines and tubes feeding into Peter said. “But he’s not a normal patient.”

Tony’s anger rose. “He is normal! Whatever he’s doing now, how we can hear him and how he’s knocking people back, is not his fault. It is happening because he _saved the world!_ ”

“We know,” Doctor W’Kebe calmly. “What we are saying is that he is not a normal human. We followed Spider-Man’s progress before the snap, saw his abilities, and you said yourself that his metabolism is different.”

Tony breathed deep, some of the anger seeping out of him to be replaced with worry. “So, you can’t put him under enough that it won’t hurt?”

Doctor W’Kebe shook his head. “Apparently not.”

“And we can’t risk more,” the anesthesiologist said.

“You will have to help him, Mr. Stark,” Doctor W’Kebe said. “It’s you that has reached and calmed him so far. Talk to him now. Let him hear your voice.”

Tony bent close to Peter’s ear. “Okay, kid, I know you’re in pain right now, and you’re scared, but this will be over soon.” He darted his eyes up to Doctor W’Kebe and narrowed them in a warning. “Then you’ll be able to rest, okay? Just try to block it out, use all the strength I know you’ve got and focus on me.” He stroked Peter’s cheek with his gloved finger. “I’ll fill you in on everything you missed. And it’s a lot, so strap in and get comfy. It’s quite the story…”

Doctor W’Kebe nodded, eyes on the monitor. “It’s working. Keep going.”

Tony rested his head on the bed beside Peter’s and said, “Okay, first things first, I’ve got a daughter. She’s called Morgan, and I swear, Pete, she’s even more work than you. I thought you kept me busy, but this girl… She’s a lot like her mum, stubborn as all hell and cute as a button, and she’s damn smart, too. Give her a few more years, and she’ll be in the lab with you and me, making alterations on your suit that make what I come up with look like a science fair project.

The sounds around them, the smells, remained, but Tony found it easier to block them out as he spoke to Peter, soothing him in the only way he knew how.

“And your buddy Ned, the hellion that hacked my suit—which I’m still mad about so you know—was one of the vanished, too. When things settle, when we get you back to that school of yours, you’ll have a buddy to come up with your plots to turn my hair grey. And… uh…”

Another fact of the years Peter missed occurred to him, and he swallowed hard. He couldn’t tell Peter his aunt had died, not like this. It had been a simple twist of fate, a car accident on the way to work, but she was gone. d

Tony had lost direct contact with her after the snap, the loss of Peter and her reaction creating a gulf them instead of a bond, but Tony had tracked her through Happy. He’d made sure she had the best funeral money could buy, arranged by her friends from the hospital as she’d lost all other family before and because of the snap, and he’d stood by her grave at Happy’s side with the other mourners. He’d apologized for bringing her kid into the fight and hoped she would hear him.

“Mr. Stark…” Doctor W’Kebe said warningly as Peter’s heart rate began to climb again.

Tony cleared his throat, dug down for strength, and said, “MJ vanished, too, so you’ve got that to look forward to. I can’t wait to hear your rambling stories about how she laughed at one of your jokes again.” He ran a finger over Peter’s cheek and took another breath. “As soon as this is over, when you’re back on your feet, you and me are going back to the lab and working on your suit.” He huffed a laugh. “I might actually need to build a new lab. I’ve not got much of one at home—Me, Pep, and Morgan are out of the city in this nice place by the lake right now, actually. I think you’ll like it. You’ll definitely get a kick out of how domestic it is. I can cook, and I got an alpaca called Gerald; Pepper hates him. Anyway, since the compound blew, I lost most of my stuff. But that’s okay; you and me can start over. I think that, between the two of us, we can have some fun building it up again. That sound good, kid? You want to do that with me?”

He stared at Peter, willing an answer that told him Peter could hear him, to confirm what he hoped his calmer heart rate meant. Even that word that he still couldn’t make sense of— _Worthy._ What did he even mean? _—_ would be enough.

“Please, kid,” he whispered into Peter’s ear. “Give me something. Just a flicker.” He sat up and picked up Peter’s free hand. “Squeeze it or something, a twitch will do. I know you’re feeling stuff, so you’ve got to be hearing it, so let me know you’re okay in there. _Please._ ”

Tony stared at Peter, desperate for something, and then his heart picked up and his breaths caught as he heard the voice. _The right voice._ It wasn’t formal, it wasn’t wrong and the polar opposite of the Peter he knew and loved. It was weak and tired, but the real Peter.

_“I’m here… Mr. Stark… It’s okay…”_

Tony dropped his head onto Peter’s chest, breathing through his nose to keep himself in control and to not break down, and he whispered, “Thank you, Peter. God… Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… Peter is in there, and he’s not all ‘Worthy’ voice. The source of that voice will be explained in the next chapter. Initially, his characterization was very different. I planned for him to be very powerful — and he really will be — but that translated into him being very different to canon. The ‘worthy’ voice they heard originally was Peter talking. That was wrong on so many levels, and I was glad to spot the failing early on and to have Snarks looking over my shoulder to make sure I didn’t do it. Peter, the — to use Tony’s words — hyped up kid-on-a-sugar-rush, is the one I love. I would have lost all of that if I’d followed the path I was on. I think you’ll like his characterization in what follows as it’s the Peter we all know and love, and his struggle is more personal instead of him being this all-powerful being that loses himself in the process. We’ll see that part of him in the next chapter when we have his POV.  
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You people are awesome!  
> I am now nudging in on 200 kudos now, and that's huge to me for this story. I had no expectations of reaching this point, and to be there with only 5 chapters posted is amazing. I am still loving working on it, being constantly surprised by the twists that come. I really think you'll enjoy it.

_‘Wow, this hurts,’_ Peter said.

Or did he say it? He had no lips to speak anymore, they had burned away, so how was he talking? How was he doing anything at all? But if he had burned away, why did his hand hurt so much?

He thought he’d died; the pain and the burning away of his flesh he’d felt had to be fatal. And he’d felt that peace after, sinking into nothingness without fear. That was dying, right? So why could he still talk? Was this some kind of heaven or strange limbo between life and death? If it was Heaven, it was kinda a disappointment. He was alone, which sucked.

 _‘You are not alone. We are here,’_ the voice intoned. _‘And you are Worthy.’_

_‘Yeah, you said that, but what does it mean? You know what? I don’t care. Do you know if I’m dead? That’d be good to know right now. I mean, there was no white light to walk into or anything, which I was kinda expecting. And if I’m not dead, which would be pretty awesome, what am I?'_

_‘You are not dead. You are Worthy.’_

Peter sighed. _‘That’s really helpful, good to know; I’ve always wondered if I was. And since we’re apparently stuck on the topic, what exactly does worthy mean?’_

_‘It means everything.’_

Sounds broke into Peter’s distraction, and he stopped flipping through all the curses he knew in all the languages—MJ was great with languages, especially the good words, and she’d been teaching Peter—to throw at that voice and listened.

“What’s happening? Why can’t we move past?” He knew that voice. It was Thor.

Okay, so probably not dead. Unconscious maybe? That would make sense. God, his hand hurt. What did they mean they couldn’t move, though? Was something holding them back? What if it was Thanos? Damn. Peter had thought the whole snap thing would have gotten rid of him. If he was still there, that meant they were all in trouble. God, Mr. Stark could be hurt.

_‘He is not Worthy…’_

_“Okay, you can stop with that right now. You obviously know nothing. Mr. Stark is like… The worthiest person. Seriously. What do you know, anyway? You are just some voice in my head. Probably some chemicals firing off because of the pain.”_

And God, the pain…

_‘I am not just a voice. I am Mind.’_

Peter snorted _. ‘You’re not really helping yourself with that statement, you know? You’re just my mind screwing up.’_

_‘You will learn the truth.’_

“Sure, I will.”

“Try Mjolnir,” a voice suggested.

_‘Wait, what?” Peter asked. “Try what with Mjolnir?’_

Something slammed into his chest with the force of a speeding truck. Strangely, it didn’t hurt nearly as much as his hand did, which it should have since the force would have to have cracked every rib. This was more like getting stitches once you’d been numbed. He’d had it once, when he fell over screwing around with Ned—long before Spider-Man and the amazing and useful healing abilities—and cut his arm open on broken glass. He’d needed seven stitches, which he’d watched being put in with detachment. He’d seen it happening, felt the tugging, but it hadn’t hurt the way it should.

 _‘Did Thor just hit me with his hammer?’_ he asked. _‘Not that it’s not cool and all, and Ned would get a kick out of it… Ned! Was he snapped, too? Oh God, is my best friend in college now? That would be all kinds of complicated. He won’t want to hang out with a kid, or maybe he would. He’s pretty cool. I’d hang out with him if he was a kid. I’d—_

“Peter…” a voice whispered. “Peter, please.”

Peter felt a wave of horror. It was Tony, and whatever had happened, he sounded wrecked. Was he hurt? God, if something had happened to him… Peter _had to_ wake up. He needed to get to him.

“Again, Tony.”

A voice spoke, and this time Peter recognized it as Captain America. Of course, _he_ was the one that told Thor to use his hammer.

“What?” Tony asked, sounding so lost.

“Say something to him.”

“But he’s…”

 _‘Dead?’_ Peter suggested _. ‘I’m not sure if I am, Mr. Stark. I don’t think so. Unless this is what death is, hanging around your body forever.’_ And if that was it, which would suck, what would happen if he was cremated? Would he just continue to drift around without a tether, like a ghost, or would he be canceled out?

“Just do it!” Captain America snapped.

“Peter, it’s me. I’m coming.”

Tony sounded a little better now, less wrecked. Peter was pretty sure he wasn’t hurt, but something had upset him.

_‘You have upset him…’_

_‘Wait? What did I do?’_ More importantly, how did he fix it again?

_‘He is upset because you’re Worthy….’_

Captain America spoke again, and Peter stopped trying to make sense of what his mind was saying to him. “Yeah, you are, kid. You really are.”

 _‘Wait? Did they hear you?’_ Peter asked. _‘Can they hear me?’_ He spoke louder. _‘Hey, Mr. Stark, Captain, if you can hear me, can you maybe get me something for the pain.’_

“Are what?” Tony asked.

_‘Worthy…’_

_‘Don’t listen to him,’_ Peter said urgently. _‘Listen to me. I’m not being a baby or anything, but my hand really does hurt, and since you had the lab cook up that… Oh. No more lab. No more super-drugs for me. Man, that sucks.’_

_‘You should rest…’_

_‘Yeah, I would if my damn hand didn’t hurt so—’_

Before he could finish, he felt a strange heaviness settle over him, different to falling asleep and different from how he’d felt when he snapped the gauntlet. This was faster and also less peaceful. He could still hear the sounds around him, and he wanted to answer, but he lost his grip on his own mind and went under.

xXx

When Peter surfaced, it was Captain America talking again. “He’s letting you close.”

 _‘Letting who close?’_ Peter asked. _‘Hey, mind voice, do you know what they’re talking about?’_

_‘Yes. You have been protecting yourself quite well. Tony Stark is the only one you will let close freely. He’s the only one you’ll listen to.’_

_‘Duh, that’s because he’s the smart one. The worthy one.’_

He heard Tony give a short laugh. “Yeah. His first mistake.”

_‘Wait, what? Mistake? No! Seriously, Mr. Stark, letting you close was the best. I just want you to know, if I don’t wake up or if I die or whatever, you really were the best choice. Totally. You were great… Dammit, why can’t you hear me?’_

“Doctor Strange and Bruce are looking for Cho,” Captain America said. “I thought I’d be more useful here.”

“You did?”

Peter wasn’t surprised to hear the doubt in Tony’s voice. He would have expected Captain America to take off now the fight was over. And it had to be over. There was no way they’d be talking like this, near Peter, if it was still going on. The snap had worked, which was a massive relief because if it had failed and Peter was stuck like this for nothing… Well, it would suck.

“I brought your phone. And I thought you might want someone to talk to.”

Peter scoffed. Peter didn’t know exactly what had happened between them after Tony went after Captain America, but he knew that it had gotten bad. Happy had let slip—after admittedly a lot of questioning—that Tony had been seriously hurt. If the Captain thought Tony wanted to talk to him…

“Honestly, Cap, you’re the last person I want to talk to,” Tony said, the words clipped.

Peter chuckled. He was pleased Tony was speaking up, though not surprised because Tony always said what he was thinking about other people when they were pissing him off. Peter should know; he’d pissed Tony off pretty badly in the past, too.

Apparently, Captain America was deaf or stupid as his voice moved closer, and he said, “There are things we need to do, and I know now is not the perfect time, but we have to talk about them, Tony. The world is in chaos right now with everyone being brought back, and they need us, the Avengers, to show a united front.”

Tony started to laugh in a way that showed he was in no way actually amused. This was bitter and incredulous. Peter didn’t blame him. Captain America was clearly crazy. Not that the Avengers being together again wouldn’t be cool—it would, and being on the battlefield with them had been great apart from the whole being terrified thing—but he’d _hurt_ Tony. Peter had never mentioned Captain America’s name after when he was invited to spend time in the lab with Tony at the compound, both because he wasn’t stupid and because Happy warned him away from the topic, saying Tony broke whatever he was holding when he heard it. 

“Steve, we are never going to be a united front. The Avengers are death. I made this kid an Avenger, and look what happened to him.”

 _“No!’_ Peter said. _‘It’s not your fault. I did what I had to do. And you tried to send me home before Thanos. It’s the fact you made the suit too smart, which was technically your fault since it knew what I wanted and helped, but I wanted to be there, Mr. Stark. It was my fight, too. This is in no way your fault.’_

“I see,” Captain America said mildly.

 _‘You see nothing,’_ Peter snapped. _‘This is on me.’_

“Death,” Tony went on. “You already know about that, though. Do you remember what you did to me when you decided to split the Avengers? Because I do. You left me for dead.”

“I was protecting my fam—”

Peter felt a wave of anger that made his heart race and his chest burn with pain. He felt something explode out of him like a punch, and then there was a crashing sound and tinkling glass.

 _‘Uh… What was that?’_ he asked.

_‘That was you protecting the people you love. That is why you are Worthy.’_

_‘I did that? What did I do? Is Mr. Stark okay?’_

_‘He is fine.’_

As if to back up the voice’s words, Tony started to speak again. “No, Pete. Calm down. It’s all good. He’s gone. You’re safe.”

There was the sound of footsteps, and a deep-voiced man spoke harshly, giving an order. “Calm him, Mr. Stark!”

Tony’s voice came softly, a whisper, but Peter thought he’d moved. “You’re safe. We’re both safe. He’s going now. He’s gone.”

 _‘Worthy…’_ The voice said wonderingly.

 _‘Really not,’_ Peter answered,

Tony smiled slightly. “We’re still awaiting a verdict on that right now. He certainly thinks so, though.”

Peter felt that punch from his chest again, and there was a shout of shock.

“Yes! He’s worthy,” Tony rushed on. “The Cap is worthy. You don’t have to keep him away anymore.”

 _‘What is happening?’_ Peter asked. _‘Come on, mind voice. You seem to know more than me, so explain. Did I do something to the Captain?’_

_‘I know infinitely more than you, I am endless, but you will learn when you’re ready.’_

“Sure, okay, I’ll learn, but did I hurt the Captain? I’m not complaining if I did, because he’s kinda an ass, hurting Mr. Stark, but I’d like to know what's going on if it was me. I don’t want to do it to someone else and hurt them.”

_‘You did it, yes, and you will learn control of it. That is something you can learn from Soul, as it is that element that’s driving your instincts to protect the people you care about.’_

_‘Then can I talk to Soul? Or my soul? Honestly, I’m kinda freaking out right now. I didn’t even know I had a soul.’_

_‘It is not your soul, though you have one, and it is worthy of us. You cannot learn now or access the others as you are lost in your own mind still. That will end. You just need time and rest.’_

Before Peter could answer, to ask another question or maybe plead for some help, Tony spoke. “If you could stop doing that, Pete, that’d be great. You’re hurt right now, so maybe focus on healing and leave me to keep us both safe. I’ll decide who’s worthy, yeah?”

 _‘Sure, Mr. Stark,’_ Peter said. _‘I mean, I’ll try. I’m not sure what’s going on, though. This is all kinda weird. And my hand really hurts.’_

_‘Then you should rest again. You do not need to be afraid. We will protect you as you protect yourself.’_

“Yeah, that all sounds great and all, but—”

Before he could finish, he was overwhelmed again and slipping back into nothingness.

xXx

When Peter rose again, he could hear Tony’s voice. His hand was searing even more as if someone was cutting into it, and he could feel pressure points in the pain, which made him think they were at least touching it.

 _‘Oh, man,’_ he muttered. _‘Did I have to be awake for this part? What are they even doing to me?’_

_‘They are operating on your hand to prepare the site for further treatment from Doctor Helen Cho.’_

_‘Okay, that’s good, I guess, but couldn’t I have slept through it?’_

_‘You were the one that chose to wake. We are not in control of that.’_

_“So, I can go under again?”_

_‘You can. But we believe you should hear.’_

_‘Maybe later. I’m going to get away for a while. I’ve just got to…’_ He willed it to work, to slip below the surface again, but it was impossible with the stabs of pain in his hand and Tony’s voice in his ear.

“And your buddy Ned, the hellion that hacked my suit—which I’m still mad about so you know—was one of the vanished, too. When things settle, when we get you back to that school of yours, you’ll have a buddy to come up with your plots to turn my hair grey. And… uh…”

 _‘And what?’_ Peter asked. _‘Really, Mr. Stark. Finish a sentence or stop talking altogether so I can go under again, please. Damn, this hurts.’_

“Mr. Stark…” that deep voice from before said.

Peter heard a throat being cleared, and then Tony went on. “MJ was vanished, too, so you’ve got that to look forward to. I can’t wait to hear your rambling stories about how she laughed at one of your jokes again.”

 _‘That’s good,’_ Peter said, able to think around the pain a little more now he was growing accustomed to it. ‘ _I’ll have Ned and MJ. Or will I? Hey, mind voice, do I get to actually wake up properly soon?’_

_‘You are the one in control of that. None of us is body. I believe, though, that your body is keeping you in this state to protect you from pain.’_

Peter flinched. _‘You mean it’s going to hurt even more than I wake up?’_

_‘No, your hand should be healed soon. It’s the reality you are as yet unaware of that your body is protecting you. You will feel us.’_

_‘Feel you what?’_

_‘You will feel us being.’_

_‘Helpful,’_ Peter said bitterly, and then tuned back into Tony’s voice.

“As soon as this is over, when you’re back on your feet, you and me are going back to the lab and working on your suit. I might actually need to build a new lab. I’ve not got much of one at home—Me, Pep, and Morgan are out of the city in this nice place by the lake right now, actually. I think you’ll like it.”

Peter returned himself to the voice that seemed to know so much. _‘Who’s Morgan?’_

_‘Tony and Pepper Stark’s daughter.’_

_‘He’s got a kid! Wow, that’s awesome. I wonder if I’ll get to meet her.’_

_‘I am almost certain you will. Just because he is not Worthy—’_

_‘You can quit saying that!’_ Peter snapped.

_‘—it does not mean that his soul does not speak to us. You are very loved by Tony Stark.’_

Peter had no response for a moment as there was a kind of war being waged inside him. Was it possible Tony loved him? He liked him, sure, he must because he was always letting Peter hang around the workshop, and he invited him over for pizza and movies other times, so Peter figured he had to like him a little. But love…

 _‘Seriously?’_ he asked.

_‘It is an exceptionally strong soul connection. Especially now that you are here again and his own soul is not defending him.’_

Peter loved Tony. He loved him as much as he loved anyone. The time he got to spend with him was a gift, every minute, and he was always conscious that it might end, that he might mess up again and lose Tony altogether instead of just the suit. But if Tony actually loved him… 

He drifted back into Tony’s words, enjoying the sound of his voice. “—domestic it is. I can cook, and I got an alpaca called Gerald; Pepper hates him. Anyway, since the compound blew, I lost most of my stuff. But that’s okay; you and me can start over. I think that, between the two of us, we can have some fun building it up again. That sound good, kid? You want to do that with me?”

 _‘Yes,’_ Peter said fervently. _‘I’ll do whatever you want, build whatever you need. I’ve just got to wake up first.’_

_‘He is reaching for you.’_

_‘He’s what?’_

“Please, kid,” Tony whispered. “Give me something. Just a flicker. Squeeze my hand or something, a twitch will do, I know you’re feeling stuff, so you’ve got to be hearing it, so let me know you’re okay in there. _Please._ ”

_‘Do you feel that? Are you ready to touch it?’_

_‘Feel what?’_ Peter asked. _‘He’s upset. Shut up and let me think.’_

_‘His soul is calling for you. Reach back to him.’_

Peter had no idea what he was doing, how to reach for someone when he couldn’t move or be heard when he spoke, but he forced the words out with all the strength he had, willing Tony to hear them, stilted as they were. _‘I’m here… Mr. Stark… It’s okay.’_

There was a pause, and then Tony’s fervent whisper and noisy breaths. “Thank you, Peter. God… Thank you.”

 _‘He heard me, right?’_ Peter asked. _‘He can hear me?’_

_‘He heard you, and your soul touched his. You did well. You are strong as well as Worthy.’_

_‘Great,’_ Peter sighed. _‘That’s great. Hey, can you put me out again? I’m really tired, and my hand is—’_

He didn’t finish. He was already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… That was Peter. What do you think? You got any thoughts on the voice? Peter will be awake soon, and we’ll have some Irondad time before things start really spiraling into plot. We’ll get some answers about the Stones, and the central theme of the story will be discovered.  
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the support you’re showing this story. You’re all so sweet with your comments and kudos. I love that you seem to be enjoying reading the story as much as I am writing it. You are making this first solo experience in Marvel one that I never want to end. I am already working on two other stories, one of which is a collab with Snarkymuch that we’re both really excited about. The other is a solo that I’m going slower on as I want to dedicate as much time as I can for this project and the collab. It’s got a plot that I love though.

_‘Boy, my hand hurts.’_

_‘You have said that many times.’_

_‘Well, since you’re my head talking, you should know it’s true,’_ Peter said irritably. _‘It really hurts.’_

_‘You know, I am not your head speaking. I am not an inner consciousness of you. I am my own being.’_

_‘You going to tell me what that means?’_

_‘When you are ready to know, you will ask properly.’_

Peter huffed out a breath. _“Do I need to ask in Spanish to get an answer? Or French? They’re all I know. Though I can curse at you in about a dozen other languages, and some of them are pretty cool.”_

_‘It is not a matter of the language you use. You are I are beyond mortal languages now.’_

Peter didn’t like the sound of that, it had the sense of foreboding, so he dismissed it and concentrated on what he could control. Which, admittedly, wasn’t much. He was pretty limited to talking to the voice in his head, and that was frustrating. He wanted to be awake and talking to others. He wanted to know what had happened after the snap. It was over, that much he knew since Tony was with him, but was everyone else okay?

_‘Hey, mind voice, can you wake me up?’_

_‘No,’_ the voice said serenely, and Peter sighed. _‘But you can wake yourself up. You are the one in control now. You have new depths of power you never had before, in fact. You will need to learn to harness them if you are going to use them properly.’_

_‘Use them for what?’_

_‘I am not the one to ask. You need Power for that.’_

Peter sputtered. _‘But… but you just said I had power.’_

_‘You have power, but you are not Power embodied. When you are ready to see him, you will.’_

_“Okay, fine, I’ll put that on the to-do list. Let’s start with waking up, though. How do I do that?”_

_‘How do you usually do it?’_ the voice asked. _‘I have never experienced sleep. I am Mind.’_

_“I don’t know. It kinda just happens. I guess sometimes I need to pee, which helps, but otherwise, it’s automatic when I’ve had enough sleep.”_

_‘Have you had enough sleep now?’_

_“Definitely. And maybe if I wake up, I can get something for the pain.”_

_‘Then wake…’_

Peter was getting annoyed. The voice, whatever it was, was less than helpful. It spoke in riddles that Peter was too worn down for.

 _‘How do I do it?’_ he snapped.

_‘Listen.’_

Grumbling, Peter obeyed and then heard a whisper of sound that grew louder as he focused. It was a rhythmic beeping and deep snores. May snored, though she denied it when Peter pointed it out. The walls in the apartment were thin, though, and he could hear her when he laid in bed at night or came home from school after her night shifts.

_‘Reach for the sound.’_

Peter did, willing himself awake the way he’d willed Tony to hear him before, and he felt the fog lifting, sounds coming louder. His eyes blinked open only to squeeze shut again as the light blinded him. He tentatively cracked them to let himself get used to the light again, and then, when they’d stopped burning, he looked around.

The snoring was coming from Tony, who was slumped in a chair beside the bed Peter was lying on. His chin was resting on his chest, and his eyes were ringed with shadows. Peter just stared at him for a moment, taking in the sight and relief to have him there again, and then he appraised the rest of his surroundings.

The room he was in was large with vast windows which let in the light which had blinded him. There was a monitor beside the bed, which was making the beeping sound he’d heard before, connected to his bare chest by pads. There was a white clamp on his index finger and a tube in the back on his hand that was connected to a bag that hung above Tony’s head.

Peter looked to the other side, and his breath caught. His hand, the one that had worn the gauntlet, was in some kind of box with clear sides that seemed to be drenched in some sort of mist, but through the mist, Peter could see red and white of flesh and bone.

“Whoa,” he said. “What the hell happened to me.

_‘The use of the gauntlet came at a price. I believe you will be healed with the help of Helen Cho’s technology.’_

Peter considered the words and then shrugged without answering. Speaking to himself, or the voice in his head, had seemed okay when no one else was listening, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to do it when he might be overheard. He already had a lot to face without people thinking he was crazy, too. The fact he’d been outed in front of the Avengers as a kid was definitely going to create some questions. Captain America already seemed annoyed.

_‘Your age will be the least of their concerns now.’_

Peter reached his free hand off the bed, weak and shaking, and prodded Tony’s shoulder. “Hey, Mr. Stark, I’m… uh… awake, and if there’s something I can get for the pain, that’d be great. I know we don’t have the super-stuff anymore, since the lab blew up, but maybe we can just try a bottle of Tylenol. I’m pretty sure I can handle it.”

Tony continued to snore loudly, and Peter gave a small laugh.

“So, you’re a snorer. I wouldn’t have guessed it. I guess I thought you seemed too cool to snore. That’s dumb, right? Yeah, it’s dumb. But if you could wake up…”

The clamp on his finger snagged on the sleeve of the strange white shirt Tony was wearing—was he really wearing scrubs?—and slipped off, triggering an alarm from the monitor beside the bed.

Tony’s eyes flew open, and he jumped to his feet, his eyes snapping between the monitor and Peter, breaths coming quick. He didn’t seem to notice Peter was awake at first, and when his eyes locked on Peter’s, they widened and his lips parted.

“Hey,” Peter said.

“Peter?”

“Yeah.”

To Peter’s shock, Tony fell back into the chair and dropped his head into his hands, his breaths coming even faster and shoulders juddering.

Peter’s brow scrunched. “You okay, Mr. Stark?”

Tony’s hands dropped, and he raised his head. Peter was astounded to see that his eyes were wet.

“What’s wrong, Mr. Stark?”

Tony made a strange choking sound that wasn’t quite a laugh or sob and said, “You… Kid, you sure know how to keep me on my toes.” He stood, and his warm hand fell on Peter’s shoulder and squeezed. “How are you feeling?”

Peter shrugged and then flinched as his wounded hand moved in the case covering it, skin nudging against the side. “It kinda hurts,” he said, and then mulled over the understatement. “It hurts a lot.”

Tony’s face fell. “I’ll see if we can give you something more for the pain. They made something that should work for you like the stuff we had cooked up in the lab, but your wounds are—”

Peter nodded. “Yeah, I figure they’re pretty bad. Even not seeing them properly, I can tell they’re gross.”

“That’s what happens when you put on a gauntlet carrying the world’s most powerful weapons and snap your fingers, kid.”

Peter’s lips turned down. “I’m sorry, but I had to.”

“I know,” Tony sighed. "I get it. I hate that you did it—dammit, it should have killed you.” He bit his lip. “But it didn’t.”

“Nope. It’s all good. Apart from, you know, my hand and all.”

Tony nodded quickly. “Yeah. Sorry. Give me a minute. Don’t go throwing anyone around while I’m gone.”

“Throwing anyone around?” Peter asked.

Tony held up a hand. “Painkillers first, explanations later.” He ducked out of the room, and the door slid closed behind him.

“Uh… mind voice?” Peter whispered. “Do you know what he’s talking about?”

_‘I told you that you were protecting the people you loved. You were also protecting yourself.’_

“The whole chest punch thing?”

_‘Yes. You were able to use the force of Power to send them away from you. You threw Captain America through a glass door.’_

“I did what? How did—” He cut off as Tony came back in with a man dressed in white scrubs like Tony’s, though he was a much larger man than Tony, tall and imposing, which didn’t make him look as strange as Tony in them. He also looked wary, like he was appraising Peter as a threat.

“Pete, this is Doctor W’Kebe. He’s been taking care of you.”

“Thank you,” Peter said cautiously, not comfortable with the way the doctor was looking at him.

“You are in pain?” the doctor asked.

“Yeah.”

The doctor checked the monitor beside the bed and said, “We can give more now that you’re stable.” He went to a drawer and took out a syringe, then carried it over to the bed and injected it into the tube in the back of Peter’s hand.

Peter felt a wave of relief almost as once as the drugs spread through him, edging away the pain and making his muscles feel loose and soft.

“Thanks,” he sighed.

Tony laughed. “Yeah, I think that’s done it.”

Peter nodded lazily. ”Much better.”

Doctor W’Kebe nodded and strode out again, Peter’s drowsy eyes following him.

Tony sat down in the chair again, picked up Peter’s hand and squeezed it, and then caught Peter’s eyes and placed it back down on the bed and tucked his own hands in his lap.

Peter was disappointed, as Tony was so warm and it had felt nice, but he figured Tony was a little uncomfortable with the touch. After all, they were only just ‘there’ with hugs now.

“You scared the crap out of me, kid,” Tony said.

“I’m sorry,” Peter said automatically. “I didn’t mean to.”

Tony laughed. “I’ll take the apology, since you really did scare me, but you don’t need to apologize for what you _did_. You saved the damn world! I thought it was on me, but you…”

"Did I mess up?" Peter asked. "Was it supposed to be you, but I—I don’t know… stole it? Because I didn’t know. I just thought—” He winced. “It seemed like the right thing to do at the time.”

Tony raised his hand as if he was going to touch him, and then dropped it again and said, “You stole nothing. You did something amazing. You saved my life and the lives of everyone I care about. I’d obviously rather you hadn’t got hurt doing it, but—” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Thanks, kid.”

Peter felt his lips tug up in a smile. He had a warm feeling in his chest. Tony said he had saved the world, but that was way too big to think about. But saving Tony’s life felt like it could be real. He’d definitely have wanted to do it.

“Cool,” he said.

Tony laughed again. “You save the world, are a bonafide hero that does something amazing, and you say ‘cool.’ Really, kid, you’re all kinds of special.”

_‘Worthy.’_

“Shut up,” Peter muttered.

Tony frowned. “What?”

Peter quickly shook his head. “Nothing. Sorry. I was talking to myself. And it is cool. I thought looking out for the little guy was neat, but that battle was— Well, it was terrifying, but also kinda amazing. I mean, you were all there, all the Avengers and superheroes, and I was fighting _with_ you.”

“You _saved_ us,” Tony said seriously. “And not one of us is going to forget it.” His lips pressed into a thin line for a moment, and then he added, “I’ll make sure of it.”

“Okay,” Peter said, eyes starting to drift closed again as the drugs seeped deeper into his system.

“Sleep,” Tony said. “You need it. We’re going to take care of your hand as soon as Cho gets here and sets up. Get some rest, and we can talk later.”

Peter nodded. “Sure, okay.”

He let his eyes fall closed and then smiled as he felt his hand being picked up again and a thumb smoothing circles on his skin. Maybe they were there now for hand-holding, too.

“Thanks, Mr. Stark,” he sighed.

“Kid, can you do me a favor?”

Peter forced his eyes open. “Sure.”

Tony smiled down at him and gave his hand a brief squeeze. “Make it Tony.”

Peter smiled. “Sure thing, Mr. Stark?”

Tony laughed, and his hand settled in Peter’s hair, fingers stroking his scalp. “You’re impossible, kid.”

Peter tried to respond, but he was already slipping under again.

 _‘Yes, impossible,’_ the voice whispered. _‘New and impossible, but also Worthy.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… He’s awake! I wanted to pace the story, but I was dying for this moment as I am all about the reunion moments in my stories. If any of you have followed me here from SPN, you’ll know exactly what I mean. We’re going to a different POV in the next chapter, which I’m a little nervous about, but as the story progresses, we’ll need to hear from more than just Peter and Tony. Apart from the epilogue to The Difference A Day Makes, I’d not written from any other Marvel characters before that one.  
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are amazing! 298 kudos!  
> I never imagined my story would get this kind of response. I have been overwhelmed. Thank you all for reading and commenting. It means the world to me, truly. You have made me feel at home in Marvel.

Steve was sitting with his head in his hands under the high windows. Tony was with Spider-Man—Peter he was called, but Steve could wrap his mind around that fact since the realization that he was just a kid carried a lot of guilt for him.

He could have killed him in Germany. Then he’d seen him on the battlefield against Thanos’ army, seen how young he was, and he’d not stepped in. What kind of protector was he when he fought side-by-side with a kid and saw the ends as justifying the means? And then he’d done worse: he’d seen the kid with the gauntlet, but he’d not done anything.

He’d been fighting a group of Thanos’ Chitauri, attention half on the battle and half on the kid. And in that moment, when he’d seen the child put on the gauntlet and known what he was going to do and what it would cost, he’d not thought of stepping in. He’d watched and waited for a kid to die for the sake of everyone else.

Captain America, solider and protector, didn’t even try to stop a child essentially killing himself to win a war. He’d put the mission first.

He shook his head and pushed away the thoughts. The kid was alive. Steve got him breathing right again and arranged for him to be brought to medical care when Tony had been frozen by shock and whatever connection he felt to the kid. He’d done his best.

At least what was what he told himself.

He was waiting for the Quinjet to arrive with the other survivors. He needed them there to ground him since he was struggling and unable to find his inner calm the way he used to.

He’d been waiting for hours, long after they took the kid to surgery and brought him back again, but Steve wasn’t allowed closer. Tony had made his feelings clear, and so had the kid; somehow, he’d thrown Steve out on his ass. That was too much to think about right now, how he was capable of it, so Steve focused on himself instead, breathing, being calm, not tearing himself apart with well-deserved guilt.

He heard the engine, and his head snapped to the window to see the jet appear and touch down. Relieved and unable to wait, he got to his feet and watched as people filed out of the back, and Thor and Helen Cho lifted out equipment and were met by Shuri and Bruce, his arm in a sling.

Steve felt a twist in his stomach at the sight of it, the cradle, as he remembered what it had done last time and what it was capable of. But he knew the kid was seriously injured since he’d heard it discussed and figured her technology was going to be vital to heal him. The thought of that kid needing a prosthetic arm like Bucky was abhorrent. How old could he even be? Sixteen at the most.

As they drifted towards the palace and out of sight, Steve sat down again and waited for them.

It didn’t take long. Rhodey was first in, and he strode to Steve and asked, “Where’s Tony?”

“With Spider-Man,” Steve said.

Rhodey scowled. “His name is Peter, though I can see why _you’d_ not want to see it. And where are they?”

His voice was a growl that made Steve blink up at him and then point to the door that would lead to the room he’d been thrown out of.

Rhodey strode away, and Steve stood to greet Wanda, Sam, Thor, and Bucky.

Bucky came straight to him, clapped a hand on his shoulder, and then said, “What’s going on?”

“They operated on the kid, and Tony is with him now. I don’t know what’s going on now. I can’t get close.”

Thor frowned. “He’s still keeping people away?”

“I don’t know about everyone else, but he knocked me through a glass door to get rid of me.”

Bucky ran a hand through his hair and fell into a chair. “This is just crazy. How is he even doing that? They were tracking him here, watching what he was doing, and he never showed powers like that before. He was just swinging around and throwing webs at people. He never showed this kind of ability.”

Steve sat down beside him and said, “I have no idea.”

Wanda took a seat opposite them, face drawn and eyes distant, and Sam sat with her and placed a hand on her arm that she shrugged away. She was hurting still, Steve knew, from the loss of Vision. It made a question occur to him. "Clint?"

“Gone home,” Sam said. “God knows he needed to. His family…”

Steve nodded, thinking of all the reunions and griefs happening over the world right now. There was going to be joy and pain; so many people would be coming back to find their family had been lost in the five years they’d been gone.

“Does anyone know what even happened?” Bucky asked. “I know the kid snapped, and that wiped them out, but… after? How did he live?” He ran a hand through his hair. “Look what that thing did to Bruce, and The Hulk is basically created to handle that kind of power. Peter is just a kid.”

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose. “I wish I knew.”

“Don’t we all,” Stephen Strange said, sweeping into the room. “I do know a touch more than you, though.”

All eyes found him, and Thor said, “Please, go ahead,” from his place leaning against the window.

“I saw over fourteen million possible outcomes for the battle,” he said. “In many of them, Tony Stark was the crux of the plan, and he failed in all but one future. If he had gone ahead with his path, he would have saved us all and died for it.”

Steve flinched. “Tony would have died?”

“He would, but the kid took that path from him. And I do not understand how. There was an outcome I was not aware of, that the Time Stone did not see, and that was that the kid would save us and live. It should not have been possible. The power of the Stones is absolute.”

“The _kid_ is called Peter,” a voice growled from the door. Rhodey came in, face thunderous, and said, “Peter Parker. He is sixteen years old.”

“You say that like it makes it better,” Bucky said. “We knew he was young, you just had to hear him chatting away when we were in Germany to know that, but he is a _kid_. How could Tony have brought him into that fight?” His hands fisted. “Any one of us could have killed him. Was he disposable to Tony?”

For a moment, Steve thought Rhodey was going to launch himself at Bucky, and it was only the knowledge that Bucky could more than handle himself that kept him in his seat.

Rhodey took a deep breath in what Steve thought was a failed attempt to calm himself and then said. “He was _not_ disposable to anyone. When I found out what Tony had done in Germany, I was pissed, too. I saw all the danger to the kid. I chalked it up to Tony being an arrogant asshole again, thought he’d slipped back a decade in emotional growth, but I was wrong. Yeah, he brought Peter into a big fight against you guys when he had no right to, but he _loves_ him. You don’t know since you weren’t there”—his voice was an accusation—“but Tony took care of him after Germany. They had something special. I’ve known Tony for years, and I’d never seen him connect that hard and fast with someone. Peter is a hero!”

Sam held up a hand. “None of us are denying that. Hell, the kid—Peter—saved the world, but he should never have been in a position to. The fact Tony cares about him makes it even worse.”

Rhodey glowered. “And do you really think he doesn’t know that? I have seen Tony hurting before, and I’ve seen him happy, but those years after the snap, for every time I saw Tony happy, I saw him sad, too. He broke completely when he came back from Titan without Peter, and it took Morgan to bring him back from the brink. He didn’t talk about Peter much to me, I think it hurt him, but when he did, the was damn proud of Peter. He made a mistake bringing him into that fight; I know that, and Tony does, too. But look at what was achieved through it. Because Peter was one of us, because he was there, he saved us, saved everyone, and lived!”

“Which he should never have been able to do,” Doctor Strange said. “The power of the Stones is absolute.”

“So, he’s strong,” Bucky said. “Which is great.”

Doctor Strange’s features became pinched and annoyed. “Fourteen million possible futures with only one victory at Tony Stark’s hands and death. To break that, to create a new future and survive the Stones, is more than strong. That child is impossible.”

A somber silence fell over the room, and Rhodey looked out of the window with distant eyes.

“What has it cost him?” Steve asked Doctor Strange. “The things he was doing, the power he was showing, he knocked _Thor_ on his ass, what does that mean for him?”

“I don’t know,” Doctor Strange said. “I cannot see without the Time Stone.”

“What happened to the Stones? They weren’t in the gauntlet on the boy,” Wanda asked quietly, and Steve could hear the grief in her voice. He was sure she was thinking of only one Stone, the one connected to Vision, who Steve knew she had loved.

Vision, like Natasha, was lost to this fight, and somehow, impossibly, Peter Parker had lived when he was the least likely of them all to survive. He was so young.

“We can’t find them,” Doctor Strange said. “Peter Quill is searching the battlefield for signs of them. He has a… connection… to them, at least to the Power Stone, that should help him to find them if they exist. It is possible that they were destroyed, though. Thanos was able to do that by using their own power, Doctor Banner said. Perhaps it was an incidental outcome of being used again for them to perish.”

Steve nodded, remembering the trials and losses they’d suffered to gather them again.

There was movement at the door, and Bruce came in. Before anyone could question him, he said. “Doctor Cho is setting up her equipment in the lab. How’s the kid?”

 _“Peter,”_ Steve corrected as Rhodey’s color rose.

Bruce frowned. “Okay, Peter, how is he?”

Rhodey sighed. “His hand is a mess, but Cho should be able to fix that. He’s unconscious, which Tony says is good since he’s in pain. I didn’t stay with them since Tony was radiating the whole get-away-from-my-kid thing.”

“His kid?” Bucky said doubtfully.

Rhodey nodded. “Yeah. I don’t know if he admits it to himself, but the way Tony is about Morgan is the same way he is about Peter. And he’s pretty high-strung right now, so maybe keep your distance.”

Steve gave a short laugh. “No problem for me. Last time I got too close to them, I was thrown through a door.”

Doctor Strange looked cautious. “Tony threw you through a door?”

“No. Peter did,” Steve said. “A glass one. This force just slammed into me. I’ve never felt anything like it.”

“The Power,” Doctor Strange said wonderingly. “The Soul. I thought it was the residual effects of the Stones, but—” He stiffed. “Scarlet Witch, your power comes from the Mind Stone, yes?”

“Wanda,” she corrected. “And yes. The scepter.”

“Then you need to come with me,” he said, striding out of the room.

Wanda looked uncertain and then rose to her feet and went after him. Steve paused for a moment, then deciding this was something he needed to see, he got up and followed, hearing the others fall into step behind him.

xXx

Tony tapped his phone, leaned his head against the back of the chair he was slumped in, and said, “Friday, show me the world.”

“The whole world?” she asked. “I suspect that would be an overpowering amount of data to process.”

“No, maybe not. Give me some news channels. I want to know what’s going on out there.”

The hologram spread from his phone, and he saw news channels flickering across, displaying the turmoil that had overtaken the world since the return. It was not the kind of chaos he was expecting, riots and turmoil after what Steve had said, but it wasn't good. There was mass confusion, people standing in the streets looking lost, and walls of flyers already being created that displayed the names and previous addresses of those that had been left behind, trying to locate them.

That was going to be a challenge, Tony knew. Many people had moved into new homes, no longer needing the extra space or being able to afford their rent or mortgages anymore with their breadwinners lost. Others had not been able to stay in homes steeped in memories of the gone.

“We’ve got to do something about that, Friday,” he said. “Build a database. Search social security records and start tracking new addresses.”

“That is a consuming project, Boss. It requires a massive amount of data flow.”

“If Peter can save the world, you and me can bring them together again,” he said, voice harsh. “Start out with the US. We’ll build from there and share the tech. But start now.”

“Okay, Boss.” There was a pause. “You have a call coming through from home.”

Tony rubbed a tired hand over his face. “Put it through.”

Pepper’s face filled the hologram, tired and worried, but when she saw Tony, she visibly relaxed. “Tony…” she sighed.

Tony forced a smile. “Hey, Pep.”

“How are you?”

Tony’s eyes moved to Peter, color better now and heart steadier, but still weak and injured. Compared to him, he was great.

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t need to lie to me,” she said. “Tell me what’s happening.”

Tony ran a rough hand through his hair. “They had to operate on his hand, the burns… Pep, it’s bad. But Cho is here now, but Rhodey says she brought what she needs to get to work, so I think he’ll be okay soon.”

“Is Rhodey with you?” she asked, and Tony thought he could hear hope in her voice.

“No, he took off again.” That wasn’t technically true. Though Tony had not said the words, he knew he had managed to drive his friend away. “It’s just me and Pete now.”

“How is he?”

“Unconscious again, in pain, I think, but he was awake earlier and seemed… He was Peter.”

She smiled. “That’s good, but was that in doubt?”

“In a way. Yeah. I can’t really explain it.” He wasn’t sure he wanted to explain that strangely formal voice. “I was worried before, he wasn’t himself, but when he woke up, he was the kid.” He sat up straighter, to improve his appearance of defeat and exhaustion—and he was so exhausted—and said, “I’m not sure when I’m going to get home, Pep.”

She raised a hand. “I know, Tony, you don’t need to explain. Me and Morgan, we’re gonna be okay. Stay with Peter and take care of him. I know that’s where you need to be right now.”

Tony found himself smiling, though he’d thought he was beyond it for so long. “Thanks, Pep. Can I talk to Morgan?”

“Sure.” She looked over her shoulder and called. “Morgan, Daddy wants to talk to you.”

He heard the creak of the playroom door, the door he’d always planned to oil but never got around to it, and then racing footsteps.

Pepper huffed out a breath as Morgan slammed down on her lap and waved, “Hey, Daddy! You coming home soon?”

“As soon as I can,” Tony said. “But Peter needs me right now.”

He expected sadness, disappointment, but she beamed and said, “Peter, my brother? Can I talk to him?”

Tony felt a thrill in his chest to hear the word brother from his little girl in reference to Peter. Morgan had talked about Peter as long as she’d been able to talk, asking for stories about him at bedtime instead of fairytales, and Tony had delivered as best he could, telling her all about Spider-Man. It was good to see her enthusiasm.

He also liked to use the word because of the claim it gave him on the kid. Peter was family. It might not be that way from Peter’s point of view, not yet, but Tony would make sure he knew how he felt about him, not leave him in doubt of it ever again.

“He’s is sleeping right now,” Tony said.

She shrugged. “Okay, but tell him I want to when he’s awake.”

“I will,” Tony promised. “Be good and take care of your mom for me. Make sure you give Gerald lots of love. I’ll call when I can.”

“I’ll be good, and I’ll take care of momma, but Gerald ate my shirt, so momma said I have to keep away from the paddock when he’s hungry.” She wriggled off Pepper’s lap. “I’m gonna go play.”

“Love you three-thousand,” Tony said as she darted away.

He heard footsteps coming closer, and then her face filled the screen again as she leaned close. “You can’t love me three-thousand because that’s mine.”

Tony smiled. “Fine, you can love me that much, and I’ll find a bigger number for you.”

She considered a moment and then said, “Okay,” and disappeared.

Pepper watched her go and waited for the creak of the door closing again, and then said, “Don’t forget to take care of yourself, Tony. I know how you can get, but you need to be at your best to help Peter. Sleep, eat, breathe.”

Tony nodded. “I will. I love you, Pep.”

She smiled. “Three-thousand?”

Tony pretended to think. “I’m not sure I’d go that far, but maybe two-thousand.”

She waved a hand at him. “You’re an ass. You go take care of Peter, and I’ll go take care of your other kid.”

“I will,” Tony said seriously.

She stared at him a moment. “I know you will.” She touched her fingers to her lips and held them out to the phone, and then the call disconnected, and the hologram shrank back into his phone.

Tony picked up Peter’s hand and said, “You hear that, Pete? That was my Morgan. I can’t wait for you to meet her. As you probably heard, she’s already pretty invested in you.” He leaned close, willing Peter to say something to him, to twitch or respond, but there was nothing. He stroked his thumb over Peter’s warm skin and said, “That’s okay. You get some rest. I’ll be here when you wake up again.”

He settled back in his seat and then jerked upright again when the door slid open, and Strange and Wanda appeared, closely followed by Steve, Rhodey, Sam, Thor, and Bruce.

Tony glowered at them. “Not now, guys.”

“We can’t wait,” Strange said curtly. “Wanda, can you feel it? You are more connected than I was.”

Wanda looked puzzled but approached the bed.

Tony jumped to his feet and leaned over Peter, saying, “It’s all good. You don’t have to blast anyone away. They’re all worthy.” He was worried that there would be damage to the equipment helping Peter if his ability to knock people on their asses swiped them all into it.

Peter had to have been listening as no one was thrown back, but Tony still raised his hand and growled, “Keep your hands off of him!” as Wanda placed a hand over Peter, running it from his head to his chest and then jerked away.

“Can you feel it?” Strange asked.

Pale and lips parted with a shocked breath, Wanda nodded and said. “Yes. It’s there.”

Strange looked amazed, his eyes falling on Peter with wonder.

“What?” Tony snapped. “What are you talking about?”

“That boy…” Wanda said quietly. “He has the Mind Stone.”

“No,” Strange said. “He does not just have the Mind Stone. He has them all.” His eyes fell on Peter’s face, and his next words came as a form of benediction. “Peter Parker _is_ the Stones.”

Tony leaned back, distancing himself from the words as something finally clicked into place. Peter had said it himself, explained why the Stones had not killed him as they should.

“Damn,” he whispered, his hand falling on Peter’s chest to both steady himself and to give comfort. “He was _worthy_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… Now they know. Some of you already guessed this, but now it’s out. This is the main premise of the story—Peter and the Stones. I am working on C22 right now, and I am really in the meat of what the Stones mean and what Peter can do. I’m having an awesome time writing it, and I hope you’ll all still be here reading when it’s time to post it.  
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the comments and kudos!  
> I had the biggest kudos jump after posting the last chapter - almost 70 of you - which was amazing. It has made me feel even more than I need to earn them. I was doing really well with the story, I have 24 chapters written, but I am going to go back and scour them, find any holes and build on them. That might mean updates have to slow down, but it will make the final story much better.

“Worthy…” Steve said slowly. “He was _worthy_!”

He’d heard the kid saying it, in that strange stilted tone, yes, but he’d heard it. He’d agreed with it, known the kid had been worthy as he saved them all, but he’d not understood the breadth and depth of the word, what it meant.

There were gasps around them, and Steve felt the tension of the room ratchet up. He looked around to take in the faces of his friends.

Wanda’s eyes were wet, and she was watching Peter with a pained look. Rhodey looked smug, as if the awe Tony was showing was feeding his feelings for the man and kid, confirming what he’d said before. Bruce looked amazed, and Steve thought he was perhaps comparing his own experience with the Stones; he had felt the sheer power of them and been wounded by them. Thor was staring at the kid with intensity, his fisted hand slightly raised as if he was feeling the weight on an immense hammer in his hand. Mjolnir, which could only be wielded if you are worthy…

Steve had been amazed that _he_ was worthy enough to wield it on the battlefield, but that seemed insignificant when he compared it to being worthy of bearing the Infinity Stones and living. And more—to not only bear them but to become one with them.

His eyes found Sam, and he saw that he looked wary. Steve assumed he was weighing what he felt and seen in the kid, when he’d saved them, with the unknown reality of that kind of power.

And Steve himself… He was torn between awe and worry. He couldn’t wrap his mind around the idea of the kid _being_ the Stones. He didn’t even know fully what it meant. Doctor Strange’s words seemed to indicate that the kid was somehow bearing the Stones, but were they in him somehow, or was Peter the embodiment of them now, the high-speed-chatter of the kid replaced with that somber tone as he said, _Worthy?_

“Okay, I’ll ask,” Sam said. “What does that mean? What kind of threat are we looking at here?”

Tony seemed to snap out of his awed appraisal of the kid, and he pointed a finger at Sam. “Threat?” he snarled. “You think Peter is a _threat_!”

“Easy, Tone,” Rhodey said. “This is just a shock. Sam doesn’t mean anything bad.”

Tony’s hands fisted, and he took a step towards Sam, face filled with fury, and Steve stepped between them. “Calm down, Tony,” he said. “Think about what Peter is capable of when you get upset. If he starts throwing us around in here, he might be hurt.”

Tony pressed a fisted hand to his chest, closed his eyes, and took two deep breaths through his nose. “Yes. You’re right.” He opened his eyes again and said in a measured voice. “Out. All of you.”

“We need to talk,” Steve objected.

“We _will_ ,” he said, his tone making the words a threat. “But not here. The kid can hear us, so I’m not going to have him lying there, scared and in pain, while you all talk crap about him.” He pointed at the door. “Out.”

Rhodey was first out, tugging Sam behind him, and the rest followed. Steve watched Tony as he bent close to the kid, whispered something, and patted his cheek, and then roughly gestured Steve out of the room then followed.

They went through the halls to the seating area where Steve had waited for the others before, and he took a seat, wanting the others to do the same to create less of an atmosphere of tension in the room so they could talk. The others followed his lead, leaving only Strange and Thor stood apart little away from them, and Tony and Rhodey standing, arms identically crossed, a united front.

“Strange,” Tony said in a tone of forced calm. “What does this mean for Peter?”

“I don’t know,” Doctor Strange replied. “I didn’t even know it was possible. The outcomes to the battle I saw, of the millions, there was one victory for our side, and that was at the cost of your life when you harnessed the stones to destroy the enemy. _You_ won for us.”

Tony reacted to the fact he was supposed to die without a flicker of his carefully controlled expression, but something changed in his eyes.

“You didn’t see Peter doing it?” he asked.

“No. It wasn’t shown as even a possibility. I didn’t see anything involving him and gauntlet other than that he was shown carrying it on various iterations of the battlefield. What he did was impossible. What he is _now_ is impossible. He shouldn’t have been capable of it. Only Doctor Banner was able, through great force of mind at a high price to his body, to use them once because of his unique physiology.”

“Very well,” Thor said, now crossing his own arms. “The child is impossible, a hero, and I accept that, but what is capable of now? If Thanos could wipe out half the universe with one snap, what happens if the child gets upset and throws a tantrum?”

Tony took a step forwards, and Rhodey laid a hand on his arm. Tony stopped and took a breath, but his furious gaze was on Thor as he said, “Watch what you say, Asgard.”

It was the dismissal of Thor’s name that alerted Steve to the very real emotions raging through Tony.

“It is a concern for us all, Tony,” Steve said, keeping his voice calm. “We are not denying that Peter is a hero. I will be forever grateful for what he did for us all and everyone we care about, but he is an unknown quantity now. We need to know what he is capable of if we’re going to manage him.”

“He doesn’t need to be managed,” Tony growled.

Rhodey sighed and said, “Just take a breath, Tone.” When Tony obeyed, he went on. “How about we all come at this as if we’re talking about a sixteen-year-old kid that just saved the world and not a rogue nuke we’re playing catch with. We all have questions and concerns, but Tony knows Peter better than any of us, so he can tell you what you need to know if you give him a chance. Tony, tell them who Peter is.”

Tony frowned. “He’s Peter. Spider-Man. The kid that just saved us all. What else do you need to know?”

Rhodey held up a hand. “None of us _know_ him apart from what we’ve seen, and that’s not a lot. Do you think he’s a threat?”

“No,” Tony said without hesitation. “He would never knowingly hurt anyone.”

“What about unintentionally?” Steve asked pragmatically.

Tony seemed on the point of answering sharply, then he stopped and said, “He tries to do the right thing, always.”

Thor gave a curt nod, and Steve felt something drop into his stomach. He would have liked a reassurance that the kid was safe, but Tony, who Rhodey said loved him, couldn't make those guarantees. Though Steve probably wouldn’t have been able to trust Tony’s judgment alone anyway. He’d learned from personal experience that loved blinded you. Tony had almost died because Steve’s love for Bucky had blinded him.

Tony pressed his fingertips to his temples. “He’s a good kid, the best of all of us. He wanted to be one of us, an Avenger, before. He pushed for it so hard.” He gave a small laugh and shook his head, seemingly lost in a memory. “But when the choice came, when he had his chance, he chose not to. He wanted to protect the little guy instead. That’s what he does. He swings around Queens doing his thing, helping people, protecting his neighborhood. He could use the power he was given for his own ends but doesn’t. Hell, he won’t play football, even though I _know_ he wants to, because he doesn’t think it’s fair to take the advantages that came with Spider-Man for his own gain. Really…” his hands dropped to his sides, and he looked on the verge of tears, “he’s a good kid.”

Rhodey squeezed his shoulder. “We need to know more about this thing, I agree, but we don’t do that by treating the kid like a threat. He’s unconscious right now, and when he wakes, we’ll talk to him about it.”

“No!” Tony said, voice close to a shout. “We don’t tell him about any of this.”

“Tony, we have no choice,” Steve said. “He needs to know the power he possesses if he’s going to be on guard for it, to learn how to control it.”

Tony shook his head curtly. “No. He’s too young. He’s too…” He struggled for words. “He’s just Peter. We all, every one of us apart from Bruce, chose the power we have. We joined the fight as adults, knowing what it meant and what we could lose. Even Bruce, who had no choice in The Hulk, was old enough and wise enough to know what he was getting into when he used that power. Peter doesn’t want it. He chose not to join us. He was on that battlefield because I was too stupid to keep him off of it, and he did something amazing, but he didn’t know what he was getting into. He couldn’t. No sixteen-year-old is capable of understanding those kinds of choices or risks. He didn’t even choose the power that made him Spider-Man. He was bitten by a damn irradiated spider; it was an accident.”

“You can’t have it both ways, Tony,” Sam said quietly. “He’s either old enough and wise enough to control this power, or he’s too young and immature for it.”

Tony glared at him, and Steve thought he might start throwing punches soon.

“Think, Tony,” Steve said. “He threw Thor back twelve feet; he shoved me through a door. If he did that to someone vulnerable, he could kill them.”

Something glinted in Tony’s eyes. “He was doing that to protect himself. When Thor got blasted, he was swinging his hammer. When you were knocked on your ass, we were fighting. Stay away from him, and no one will be hurt. When they were treating him, he stopped them a couple times, held them back a little, he wouldn’t let them draw blood, but he didn’t hurt them. And once I got through to him, told him it was safe, he was fine. He was in pain when they were working on his hand, but he didn’t stop them because I was there.”

“You think if you’re close to him and he feels safe, he’ll be controlled?” Steve said, mulling over the idea.

It did make sense. Tony had been yelling about how he’d almost killed him when Peter had thrown Steve through the door; Peter would have been scared. And if he felt the same way about Tony that Tony felt about him, he’d be desperate to protect Tony, too.

“I do,” Tony said with a curt nod. “And I am the one that gets to decide here. Peter is on me. I brought him into the fight, he’s my kid, so he’s my responsibility. His parents are dead, his aunt died a couple years ago, so I’m all he’s got left. I get to choose what he knows and when. Understand?” He crossed his arms over his chest, eyes darting from face to face, daring them to argue.

Rhodey looked oddly satisfied as he watched his friend, and he was the first to speak up. “I’m with you, Tone. Peter’s your kid, so you get to call the shots. The rest of us will keep our distance unless you or Peter want us there. And I won’t tell him anything you don’t think he should know.”

Wanda rubbed her hands over her face and said, “I agree. I think we all owe Peter too much to make these choices for him. And you’re right. I chose my power, and so did Pietro. His power and nature killed him when he chose to sacrifice himself to save Clint. Peter would have done the same for us. I will say nothing.” She looked at Tony, and there was something strange in her eyes. “But I would like to speak to him when he’s awake.”

Tony stared at her for a moment, seeming to be searching for something in her face, perhaps a lie. Tony had always been a little guarded with Wanda after she manipulated his mind, driving that fear into him, which ended with Ultron’s creation. They were a team, but Tony didn’t trust easily and didn’t forget. He looked pleased by her support, though, and said, “I’ll see how he feels about that.”

She nodded and settled back in her seat, eyes cast down to her hands folded in her lap.

“I’m with you, too,” Bucky said, catching Steve off guard, and, judging by the expressions of everyone else, them all, too. “I enlisted knowing it might end with my death. Everything that followed, what I did and became, was because I made that first choice. Peter didn’t choose his power, none of it, and he saved us.” He seemed to force himself to look at Tony, accepting the venomous eyes that met his. “You get to call the shots. But I would like to speak to him, too.”

“No chance in hell,” Tony snarled.

Tony narrowed his eyes at Bucky, almost as if he hoped he could burn him with his gaze the way he would with the weapons in his suit, and said, “Stay away from my kid, Barnes.”

Steve held in a sigh. He understood Tony’s feelings for Bucky, but Bucky had taken a step, offered help, and Tony had thrown it back in his face. Bucky had not been in control when he killed Howard and Maria Stark. It had been the Winter Soldier’s crime, not Steve’s best friend’s. He wanted to defend him, but to bring that subject further to the forefront of what was already a very tense situation was a bad idea.

Bucky nodded and bowed his head.

“What about you, Banner?” Tony asked with a frown.

Steve waited anxiously for the answer, too. He didn’t know which side Bruce would take in this situation. He knew the power of the Stones as he’d wielded them, and he knew the danger of power as he’d lived years trying to beat back The Hulk. But through that, he knew burdens and could perhaps relate to the kid’s situation.

He seemed to consider for a long time before he nodded and said, “I’ll leave it to you to decide what and when to tell him, but I will say he needs to know soon. If these Stones give him anywhere near the kind of power I had with The Hulk in the beginning, he needs to be warned. Look how long it took me to get the control I have now. He needs to know about it. I’m not pushing to talk to him yet, but if and when he needs me, I’ll be there to help.”

“Strange?” Tony prompted.

Doctor Strange was silent a long time, and then he said. “The kid is an unknown factor to us all, and I plan to fix that. I won’t tell him anything, nor do I wish to talk to him until I know more. He is your responsibility, Mr. Stark, so I suggest you take that seriously. I’ll go back to the sanctum to see what I can find. I’ll be back when I have actual information for us to work with.”

Without another word, he stood and swirled his hands in the flowing movements that created the orange portal. Before Steve could say anything, he had stepped through it and disappeared.

“What about you, Steve?” Bucky asked, drawing Steve’s eyes to him. “Where do you stand?”

Bucky was sitting forward in his seat, hands hanging between his knees and eyebrow raised. Though his face was carefully neutral, Steve felt the tension of the question. Steve thought Bucky was waiting to see if he’d side with him, protect the kid, or protect them all from the possible threat.

Steve had to consider his answer carefully before speaking. He was torn. They all made good points about the kid, the goodness of him, the heroism, compared to the potential risk, and Steve had to weigh them each up and find the right words. He at least knew some of what he was getting into when Erskine gave him the serum; he knew he would be enhanced, and he’d been eager for it. Tony was right; he'd chosen his power. Peter had not done that with any of it. All he had done was choose what to do with the power he had, and it sounded like he’d made good choices. But the Stones were unknown. The potential risk was high.

Ultimately, he decided to put his trust in Tony and be careful to monitor the situation as it unfolded. He would be ready to act if necessary, but he would not allow a child to be hurt again under his watch without doing everything he could to find another way first.

“I won’t say anything to him,” he said. “I will leave that to you, Tony, but I suggest you tell him yourself soon. However, you need to prepare yourself for the possibility that he already knows. The Stones are unlikely to settle in him and not make their presence known. He might already be aware of them.”

Tony looked stricken. His lips parted and eyes widened. Steve realized that he’d never considered the possibility. His concern had been protecting the kid he loved.

“And…” Steve went on, “the person that wakes might not be the one you expect. We heard his voice when he was unconscious, and that did not sound like the kid as we’ve heard him before. I think you need to prepare yourself for a very different version of Peter when he wakes.”

He expected more shock or fear from Tony, but he smiled smugly and said. “No. I’ve already seen the real Peter. He woke up for a few minutes earlier, and it was the kid I know talking. He’s fine.” His face became wary again, and he turned his eyes on Sam and said, “What about you?”

Sam pressed his fingertips to his temples and said, “The team has spoken. I’ll go with it.

Steve shook his head. “No, this isn’t about the team, Sam. This is different from anything we’ve ever faced before. We all need to be doing it for ourselves off our own backs. The world needs us to be united right now, but for this fight…”

“There will be no fight,” Tony growled.

Steve kept his eyes on Sam, but it was a shout from Thor that made him flinch.

“No fight! Do none of you remember what happened on that battlefield before the snap? We had a chance—I had a chance to end it. If I had not been weak-willed, if I had killed Thanos when I had the chance, the universe would have been saved five years of suffering. I will not be weak again. This threat cannot stand. We have to go for the head!”

Tony stared at him, lips parted with shock, and Thor stared back at him, brows down and eyes stony.

“You will not touch my kid, Asgard,” Tony snarled.

Thor took a step forward, and everyone jumped to their feet, stepping between them. To Steve’s astonishment, they all, Sam included, placed themselves in front of Tony. Thor stood alone against them all. Wanda’s hands were raised as if about to create an energy blast. Bruce, the biggest threat, stood directly in front of Thor, hands fisted.

Even Steve was on Tony’s side, against Thor, who was his friend, without thought. He knew it was the right place to be, though. He understood Thor’s fear, and he knew he held massive regret for what he had done and failed to do when he’d had his chance, but a kid would not die for it.

Not unless there was no other choice.

Thor looked from face to face and shook his head, “You will not stop me doing the right thing.”

“No,” a voice said from the doorway. “But I will. You will not create violence here.”

All eyes snapped to T’Challa, who was walking into the room, except Tony's, whose focus remained on Thor.

“I have heard what you have said,” T’Challa went on. “I know what is happening and the decisions you are wrangling with. You are all overlooking a fact, though. Wakanda is not your place to decide anything. While Peter Parker is here, he is under our protection and will not be harmed.”

Thor looked furious. “This risk the child poses is—”

“What he possesses is great, yes,” T'challa agreed. “I see it. But I also know that every life here is in his debt. Until there is proven reason for other actions, he will be protected.” He smirked. “However, from what I have heard, the boy is capable of protecting himself.”

Thor looked from T'challa to Steve, then his eyes moved from each face of his friends, and he nodded. “Very well. You can all _protect_ this threat instead of doing what we are all beholden to do, which is protect against things like him.”

Tony seemed to be shaking he was so angry, and Rhodey had his hand pressed against Tony's chest as if preparing to hold him back.

“I won’t let you touch my son,” Tony snarled. 

Thor stared at him and then cut a hand through the air. “Fine. But this is where it ends.” He fixed his gaze on Steve. “You can use this united front you have created without me. You will not see me again.”

He turned and marched out. No one moved or even seemed to breathe freely until he appeared outside and went into the Quinjet. He stepped out again with Mjolnir in his hand. He spun it, Steve’s eyes watching its progress, and then threw it into the air and was pulled away with it.

Sam whistled between his teeth. “Damn, that’s one pissed off god.”

“He’s gone,” Rhodey said, his tone soothing. “Look, Tone, he’s gone.”

Tony nodded curtly and said, “He’ll come back.”

“Not while Peter is here,” T'challa said. “When you take him outside our borders, his protection will be on his own shoulders. I believe he is more than capable of bearing it with the help of the Stones.”

“Do you know more than us?” Steve asked cautiously. He was surprised T'challa was stepping up to protect Peter.

T'challa shook his head. “No. I think I perhaps know less even, but we all owe him a debt, and I will not forget that. Though the Stones are incredibly powerful, this we know, they are not evil. They have been used for evil. _I_ believe, and some of my people disagree, that this is not an opening for an end but a new dawn. The Stones have power, and from what you have said, Tony, the child has strength. I believe that this could be something great for us all.”

Without another word, he turned and walked away.

Tony let out a huge breath and pressed his hand to his chest as if to calm a racing heart.

“Damn…” Sam whispered. “Hands up if your head is spinning, too.”

Without thought, Steve raised his hand and saw that everyone else had done the same.

“I guess there’s no point me saying it now,” Sam said. “But I’m with you, Tony. I’ll say nothing to Peter, and I’ll be there if I’m needed. You know what I do, and we all heard that scream on the battlefield from him. If he needs to talk through that or anything else, let me know.”

“Thank you,” Tony said quietly. “I’ve got to…” He rubbed a hand over his face. “I’m going back to Peter.”

“I’ll come with you,” Rhodey said.

Tony hesitated a moment and then nodded, and they walked together back towards Peter’s room.

“I’ll go see if Helen needs me,” Bruce said.

Sam murmured something about food, and Wanda nodded, and they left, leaving Bucky and Steve alone.

“Do you think Thor will come back?” Bucky asked.

“I don’t know. I hope not. I don’t think he is a risk to Peter, not with the Stones, but I don’t want to see either of them hurt.”

“And do you think T'challa could be right? This could be a good thing for all of us?”

Steve sighed. “Honestly, Buck, I don’t know. I didn’t even think of it like that. If Tony is right about the kid, that he’s as good as he believes, then I think we’ve got a chance of it being very good. God knows we need it. The world is in chaos right now. We’ve all got to start over.

Bucky nodded. “I know.”

“You going to be a part of it?” Steve asked cautiously.

Bucky considered a long time before answering, and when he did, it was not the one Steve had been expecting, though it was one that created warmth in his chest. “Yeah, I am. I think it’s time I stopped hiding.” He smiled slightly. “I figure you could use a wingman.”

Steve clapped him on the shoulder and squeezed it. “I don’t think I’ve ever needed one more, Buck.”

Everything was in pieces now, the world and his friends' lives, and he was much happier knowing he had Bucky on his side. That and the idea T'challa was right, that this was a good thing, was what was keeping him going. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… What do you think? I am even more nervous than usual about this chapter for the reactions. I had a purely selfish reason for having Thor be the one to stand against Peter and the threat, but I also think it tracks with his canon character as he had immense guilt for not killing Thanos. Were the reactions what you expected? I’ve noticed a trend in the stories I’ve read that involve Peter and the Avengers, and I did not follow that trend. Does that work for you?  
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “He said with great power comes great responsibility.”  
> “Exactly. And you’ve got great power that I know you don’t want, but if you focus on how to manage that, I’ll be in charge of responsibility for a while.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading, commenting and leaving kudos. I am overwhelmed by how much support this story is getting from you wonderful people. I was way more confident with posting The Difference A Day Makes as that had Snarkymuch's reputation and skill backing me up, but you seemed to have accepted this story and decided to come on the journey with me which means so much. Each email I get about this story makes me smile and sends me back to the laptop to write more.  
> I’ve got a couple questions in the note at the bottom - well, technically one question and a request for help. Please check the note before clicking out after reading.  
> There might still be spelling and grammar errors in this as I don't think Snarks has been over it yet. I couldn't wait to check as I really need the help at the end.

Peter had woken to the sound of voices, and he’d been okay, though his hand had burned, then Doctor Strange had said the words that made his mind spin out of control.

_“He does not just have the Mind Stone. He has them all. Peter Parker is the Stones.”_

He’d been struggling to wake, to ask his questions. Then there had been a voice in his mind once again, saying, ‘ _Take him, Space,’_ and he’d been rising up and out of his body.

He had a moment to back and see a perfect copy of himself lying on the bed, pale and grubby from battle, injured hand still encased, before he’d been dragged along in Tony’s wake to where the Avengers gathered to discuss him—to the place his world fell apart all over again and he learned just what he was now.

A threat.

He stood, an unseen observer to the conversation centered around him, and felt his world being torn apart.

“I won’t let you touch my son,” Tony snarled. 

Even through the shock and horror Peter was feeling, his heart skipped a beat at the word. Tony called him _son_.

_‘I told you there is a soul bond there.”_

_‘Yeah, sure, but…’_ Peter’s voice broke. _‘Please, can you make it stop now? I’ve seen enough.’_

_‘You need to see it all. Through his love, Tony Stark will not tell you the truth, but you need to know it, and we did not believe you would accept it from us. You are something great. Worthy.’_

Peter’s denial was lost as Thor spoke again. “Fine. But this is where it ends.” He fixed his gaze on Captain America. “You can use this united front you have created without me. You will not see me again.”

Peter felt an ache in his chest. He was doing this, destroying the Avengers. He didn’t mean to, and he wanted to fix it, but he didn’t know how. He’d been trying to do the right thing when he’d put on the gauntlet, and in a way it had been, he saved Mr. Stark, but now this…

_‘Please, make it stop?’_

There was a pause, and then the voice said, _‘We believe you have seen everything of importance. Space will return you.’_

Peter felt himself being pulled back into his body, his eyes flying open and then filling with tears that were nothing to do with the renewed burning pain in his hand. He felt bereft of everything he thought he knew about himself. Peter Parker, Spider-Man, the wannabe Avenger, had been enough to handle, but he wasn’t any of those things anymore. He was something new and dangerous.

_‘Not dangerous. We are not evil. And you are Worthy.’_

“Stop saying that!” Peter said aloud. “I don’t want to hear it. It’s all you… It’s all wrong now… I’m a threat.”

_‘You are a threat in one being’s eyes. Did you not see how many stood for you? They will know the truth._

“But I hurt people. I threw Thor around. They said it.”

_‘To defend yourself. That is not a danger, that is instinct. You will learn to control it. To harness us for good.’_

Peter put his uninjured hand over his face and sobbed into it.

_‘Only Time has ever been used for good before, but that’s what we want to do. We chose you as you were Worthy. You will fulfill our true and longed for purpose. We want to help.’_

“Can’t you just go? Can I cut you out or something? Please, I can’t do this.”

_‘We are no longer physical objects that can be picked up and put down. We’re not a part of you.’_

“And if I die?” Peter asked hopefully.

The voice sounded almost sad as it answered. _‘That is no longer a choice for you. We will protect.’_

Hot tears spilled down his cheeks, and his chest shuddered with sobs. He didn’t want this. He was scared of it. And there was nothing he could do about it.

Peter was trapped. A threat.

xXx

“It’s a good look on you, you know?” Rhodey said as they walked back towards Peter’s room.

Tony frowned. “What is?”

“Fatherhood.”

“I’ve been a father for four years, Rhodey.”

“I think you’ve been a dad a lot longer than that.! Rhodey smiled slightly. “You remember the day I came to the house after Morgan was born, what happened when I asked to hold her?”

Tony felt color creep up his cheeks. “I know what you’re going to say, but she’d been fussy all morning, and Pep had just fed her. I didn’t want her sicking up all over your nice white shirt. I was helping you out by hanging onto her.”

“Two hours, Tony. It took two hours for Pepper to persuade you to hand her over, and even then, it was like it was killing you to do it. I get it. I didn’t before, I didn’t understand what you had with Peter, but I see it now. You’d already lost one kid, so you were going to hold onto the other damn tight.”

Tony sighed, and they turned a corner. “Yeah. I know.”

“What’s with the face? In case you didn’t notice, we just dodged a very large bullet in the form of the God of Thunder throwing a tantrum. He’s gone, and T’Challa has Peter under his protection here. Me, I don’t think Thor will be back. I think once he’s settled and thought it through, maybe downed a few barrels of ale, he’ll see the right in what we were saying.”

“We dodged, I know we did, but that doesn’t cancel out the rest of what’s going on. Peter has all this power, and I _know_ he’s not a threat, he can handle it, but Steve was right: he will find out. How is a sixteen-year-old boy supposed to handle that kind of news?”

“Honestly, I don’t know, since you never gave me a chance to know him.

“I was protecting him,” Tony said defensively. “He wanted the whole secret identity thing, and with the Accords…”

Rhodey grabbed his arm and stopped him. Tony stared into his friend’s eyes and saw the innate calm he always carried in the toughest times.

“I know what you were doing, and I’d have done the same, but you can’t anymore. We’re on your side with this, in case us stepping in front of Thor didn’t tell you that, and we all want to help Peter. We all owe him.” He frowned. “For me, it’s more than that. I do owe the kid, but you kinda talked him up back there, and I want to get to know him properly, as more than the sassy masked crusader who helped take down a sixty-five foot Ant Man while referring to _Empire_ as a ‘really old movie’.” He shook his head and laughed. “What I’m saying, Tone, is don’t be selfish with this, because it’s ultimately going to hurt your son. He’s going to need more help than just you can give.” He paused and said, “And I think Barnes might be a good person to give it.”

Fury flooded through Tony’s veins. “No way in hell!” Tony growled, marching away.

Rhodey hurried after him. "I know how you feel, and I get it, but it wasn’t Barnes that killed your parents. It was The Winter Soldier, and he’s gone.”

“If you think I’m leaving my son to the care of that…” He sputtered, unable to find words, and then cut his hand through the air. “No!”

You’ve got it backward, you know. It’s not Barnes you’re mad at, not deep down. It’s—”

“He killed my family, Rhodey! You want to see the footage? See what he did to my mom? Because I can have Friday track it down for you. Then you’ll see…”

Rhodey placed a hand on his chest. “Deep down, it’s Steve you’re mad at, still, but you don’t want to be, you don’t want to feel betrayed by one of your best friends, so you’re laying it all on Barnes because that’s easier.”

Tony brushed his hand away and strode towards Peter’s room. Before he could reach it though, he heard harrowing sobs that tore at his heart and made him break into a run.

“Peter!”

It sounded like more than physical pain was causing the sounds; it was more like Peter’s heart was breaking. Tony was sprinting when he reached the doorway and slammed into the invisible barrier that sent him reeling back and his hand flying to his nose. It wasn’t bleeding as he’d expected, but it throbbed with pain.

Dismissing his discomfort, he moved back to the barrier and pressed his hand against it. Peter was curled on his side, his wounded hand still encased in the protective box, but with the way it was moving with each sob that tore from the kid’s chest, Tony thought it had to be touching the sides and hurting him.

“Peter, let me in,” he said.

“What’s going on?” Rhodey asked, coming to a stop beside him and placing a hand on the barrier too. “What happened to him?”

“I don’t know,” Tony snapped. “Pete, kid, I’m here. Let me in.”

Peter gave his head a small shake, and another sob ripped from him.

“Peter! Let me in!” he said, forcing the quaver out of his voice to sound firm. “Right now!”

He wanted to be gentle, to comfort the kid, but that was impossible if he couldn’t get near him, so he had to come at it from a different angle. He’d only even needed to be tough on him once, after that whole ferry debacle, and that had wrecked the kid, he’d seen it. Peter was already wrecked, though, and he couldn’t make it worse.

When the barrier failed to fall, he made his voice a shout, drawing Doctor W’Kebe and two nurses into the hall, all looking worried. “Let me in, Parker!”

He felt the wall in front of him fall, and he rushed into the room.

“Easy, Pete,” he said softly, bending over the bed and easing him out of his curled ball onto his back, careful to steading his shoulder so his injured hand didn’t move too much. “I’m here.”

In response, Peter sobbed and turned his face away.

Tony had been too self-conscious before, when Peter woke, to hold his hand, to overstep the boundaries he’d created in their relationship, but he felt no hesitation now as he sat on the edge of the bed and gently turned Peter’s face to his, thumb stroking his cheek.

“What’s wrong, kid?” he asked. “Is it the pain?”

Peter’s streaming eyes fixed on him for a moment, and there was a look of pure anguish in them with their strange rainbow light, and then he squeezed them closed and said, “I messed it all up. And I can’t stop it. He said…” He drew a shaking breath. “I can’t even die to make it go away!”

Tony’s heart stuttered to a stop and then kicked into a pace faster than he’d ever felt in his life. “Die? No, you’re not dying. Why would you even think that? You’re going to be fine. If you drop the hold on the others, they’ll be able to get you some more painkillers.” He pushed back Peter’s hair. “We can fix this.”

Peter shook his head, a strangled cry breaking from him. “I heard it. I know what I am. I know I need to die.”

Tony’s breaths stopped, and his eyes widened as an ice pick of pain pierced his chest. Peter’s hearing was great, but Tony had made sure they were way out of his range to hear before they’d spoken. He couldn’t know what was said.

“Why do you need to die?” he asked cautiously.

“Because of the Stones. Thor was right. I’m a threat. And I can’t do this. It’s too much for me. I’m just Peter. He said that they want to do good, but—” He choked in a breath. “I wanted to do good on the ferry, and I messed it up. I’ll mess it up again, I know. It’s too much. If the Stones can wipe out all those people, what will they do if I’ve got them? I can’t control it, Mr. Stark!”

Tony felt tears burning in his eyes, and he willed them back, failing as one fell down his cheek, exposing his pain to the kid. “You won’t hurt anyone, Peter. If you heard what was said back there, did you hear what I said? What T’Challa said?”

“He said I’m protected, but I can’t be. I shouldn’t be!”

Tony cupped his face in his hands, thumbs stroking his cheeks, “You didn’t hear it all then. T’Challa thinks this could be something great for us all. You could be great. He’s not talking about Wakanda or the Avengers. He’s talking about the world. Pete, you’ve already saved it once. You did that because you’re worthy. Sure, it’s a lot to handle, I know, but I don’t trust anyone else in the world to handle this power more than I trust you.”

Peter’s eyes opened, and he stared up at him, lips parted and breaths coming in weak pants. “What if I go wrong again, like the ferry?”

Tony leaned closer. “You went wrong then because you were trying to handle something too big for you without help. That’s on me. I should have paid attention to what you were saying instead of just telling you to leave it to me. Because I didn’t take care of it. If I’d been there, none of that would have happened. This, the Stones, you, all of it, is going to be you and me together. I won’t leave you alone to deal with it.”

Peter stared up at him, the fear in his face slowly being replaced by something new, something Tony didn’t recognize at first because it was so out of place though longed for.

“You trust me?” he asked, confirming what he thought he was seeing.

Peter nodded. “Yes.”

Tony lowered his forehead to Peter’s and felt the kid’s quick breaths against his face. “I got you on this, kid,” he said. “I promise you won’t be alone. I’ll take care of you.” He straightened up. “We’ll fix it.”

“Mind says I can’t get them out,” Peter whispered.

“ _Mind_ says?” A horrible thought occurred to him. “They’re talking to you?”

Peter nodded. “It’s just Mind so far, but he says I have to talk to them all to learn. Space took me to watch what you were saying because they didn’t think you’d tell me.” He stopped a moment as if listening to something else and then said, “And he says they are not something you can fix with your technology.”

Tony forced a smile, though he was horrified that the Stones were actually communicating with Peter, the power and burden of them. “Then I’ll not use technology. I’ll use you. These things are in you, the best possible person in the world to bear them, so we’ll find a way to help you with them.”

“I’m only a kid, Mr. Stark,” he whispered.

Tony shook his head curtly. “No. You were a kid until you stepped onto Titan with me. Then you became an Avenger. Then you put on that gauntlet and became something else.” He locked eyes with Peter. “You became a whole new kind of hero, nothing the world has ever seen before. That gauntlet would have killed any other person that did what you did, but you lived because you were worthy.”

Peter’s lip trembled. “I don’t want to be worthy.”

Tony wiped away the tear that slipped down Peter’s cheek and then the one that fell down his own, the proof of shared pain, and said, “I don’t think you get a choice in it, kid. You just are. And remember what you told me that time, when you were hopped up on the sugar from the giant raspberry slushie you persuaded Happy to stop for before you got to the compound?”

Peter frowned. “Which time?”

Tony chuckled. “Good point. After the whole Coney-Island thing, he pretty much spoiled you, didn’t he? The time I’m thinking about is something your uncle said to you.” He paused and tried to find the words Peter had spoken and failed. “Something about power.”

Peter’s eyes widened. “Yeah. He said with great power comes great responsibility.”

Tony nodded and smiled. “Exactly. And you’ve got great power that I know you don’t want, but if you focus on how to manage that, I’ll be in charge of responsibility for a while. That okay?”

Peter’s lips tugged into a smile. “You won’t let me hurt anyone?”

“I swear it,” Tony said seriously. “You and me, kid, we’re in this together.”

“What about Morgan and Mrs. Potts?” Peter asked.

“You heard me talking about them, huh. I wondered how much you were hearing.”

“I heard some, and Mind explained about Morgan.” He smiled slightly. “You’ve got a kid now. You can’t take care of them if you’re taking care of me.” He bit his lip. “And I don’t think I should be near them…”

Tony sighed. “They’ll understand if I need to stay with you until you’ve got your feet under you.”

Peter shook his head jerkily. “No. I’m not taking you away from them.”

Tony sighed, torn between his two needs. He wanted to be with Peter, to help him through this, but he couldn’t abandon the rest of his family to do it. Pepper would understand, but Morgan was too young. And Peter would never accept it.

“Then I’ll bring in reinforcements,” he said. “Can you drop the barrier or whatever you’re using to hold everyone back?”

“It’s not really me,” Peter said, and then his eyes became distant and he said, “It’s gone now. “

Tony looked over his shoulder to see Rhodey lurking just outside the door. At Tony’s gesture, Rhodey came into the room and stopped at the end of the bed.

“Peter, meet James Rhodes,” Tony said. “He’s my oldest friend, and he’s almost as wise as you.”

“Hey, Peter,” Rhodey said, his lips spread in a wide smile. “It’s good to meet you.”

Peter gave him a small embarrassed wave and said, “Hey, Mr. Rhodes.”

“Rhodey,” he corrected.

Tony laughed softly. “That’s something you’re going to have to work on. It’s technically been six years, and he still calls me Mr. Stark.”

Rhodey chuckled. “Yeah, we’ll soon fix that. Me and Pete are going to have all the time in the world to get to know each other.” He came deeper into the room and flopped onto the chair Tony usually sat in. “Tell me about yourself, kid. I know you’re pretty handy in a fight, impressive with webs, and you can save the world on a good day, but what else do you like?”

Peter shrugged, still looking anxious. “Uh… science. I watch a lot of movies with my best friend, Ned. We like the old ones best.”

Rhodey leaned forwards and held up a hand. “I’m going to stop you there since you already trashed once me saying _Empire_ was a ‘really old movie.’ There’s a difference between old and classic. If I went to see a movie in the cinema when it was released, it’s not allowed to be called old, understand?”

Peter gave a weak chuckle and said, “Okay.”

Rhodey clapped his hands and said, “Great. Now tell me about those web things…”

Peter smiled slightly and said, “It’s not technically webs. It’s something I came up with in the lab. They’re basically a mix of carbon proteins that have hierarchically arranged fibers that are interconnected in a way where friction…”

Rhodey’s eyes widened, and Tony laughed. His friend was clearly impressed, and it gave him a strange warmth in his chest.

He felt very much like a proud father in that moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: I need opinions on this. What do you see the status of Shield as in the MCU and this story? I can’t find a definitive answer online. I’ve watched most of Shield – before they killed off Coulson and broke my heart – but it’s been a while so I’m kind vague on the details. Do you think think is should exist in this world and do you think Tony and the others would be aware of it?  
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter felt his eyes close, and then he was seated in a high-backed chair around a circular mahogany table with six other people. His surroundings were shadowy and unformed, just vague shapes. The only things that were clear were the table and the people seated around him. His eyes moved over them, his breath catching as he saw some he recognized.   
> “You’re Loki!” he gasped, pointing at the person two seats away. “I saw you on the news.”  
> The man shook his head, dark hair brushing his shoulders, and smiled. “I am Space, Peter Parker, and it’s so good to meet you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the comments/kudos/bookmarks and subscriptions. I'm not ashamed to say I check my stats every day, and each time I am overjoyed with how well this story seems to be doing. 
> 
> I think this world is going to become a series instead of one work. I've not created a series for it yet as I'm not certain, but I think this idea is too rich to just use for one story, and if I used all the plots I have in mind in one, it would be a convoluted mess. Would you be up for a series of this world?

Tony watched Peter as he toyed with the blanket covering his legs. He was anxious, Tony could tell, and though there were so many things to be anxious about, he had a feeling this was something different to his breakdown an hour before.

He raised his eyes and nodded to Rhodey, who was sitting on the other side of the bed, and said, “You think you can go root out some coffee for us, Rhodey?”

Rhodey looked from Peter to Tony, and a moment of unspoken communication passed between them, and he said, “Coffee. Definitely. Hate to say it, Tone, but you look like crap.”

Peter gave a small laugh and looked up. “You do, Mr. Stark. Have you got much sleep? Apart from when you were snoring up a storm in the chair?”

Tony formed his face into mock anger and pointed a finger at him. “First of all, I don’t snore. I’m a very quiet sleeper. Pepper says so.”

Rhodey snorted. “Since I have shared a dorm room with you, I can promise she’s lying. You sound like a freight train when you get going.”

Tony shot him a glare and looked back to Peter. “And second, we’re going to have to do something about this Mr. Stark thing.” He rubbed his chin. “Got it. For every time you fail to call me Tony, I’ll cut a day off your workshop allowance.”

Peter’s face fell. “But…”

Tony crossed his arms over his chest. “No buts. It’s a fair deal. Every time you call me Mr. Stark, I get a new grey hair and my father rolls in his grave. To save me from the barber’s dye and my father a sprained back, you have to call me Tony.”

Peter stared at him for a moment and then nodded. “Sure.”

“Sure… what?” Tony asked.

Peter bit his lip. “Sure, Tony.”

Tony grinned and sat back in his seat. “I feel better already. Now, Rhodey, coffee, go.”

Rhodey got to his feet and said, “You want anything, Peter?”

Peter shook his head. “No, I’m fine.”

“Probably not a good idea anyway,” Tony said. “They’ve not given the okay for anything but the IV stuff so far, so we’ll wait for the go-ahead.”

Rhodey nodded and left the room, the door sliding closed behind him.

Peter watched him go, and then his eyes fell to the blanket his fingers were picking at again.

“You in pain?” Tony asked.

Peter shrugged one shoulder. “It’s okay. Better than it was. I don’t want more painkillers.”

“They don’t feel good?” Tony was surprised as he’d been in some pretty bad pain in his life, and he’d always been grateful for the chemical assistance, even with the misspent college years' mistakes connotations they carried.

Peter shook his head. “No. They’re okay.”

Tony thought there was more to it, but he wanted to press his theory that there was something more going on with Peter.

“What’s going in that super-speed processing head of yours?”

Peter took a small breath and then said, “I heard you say May died. What happened?”

Tony sighed and leaned forward, plucking Peter’s hand away from the now fraying blanket and holding it between his own. “It was a car accident. She was on her way to work. It was fast, she didn’t suffer. It happened a couple years ago.”

Peter looked away, and Tony saw a tear slip down his cheek. “Her funeral… Who did it? She had no one left after I was gone.”

“I took care of it with some of her friends from the hospital. They arranged it all, made it what she’d have wanted, and I took care of the bills.”

“Did you go?” Peter asked.

“Yes, I was there. I wasn’t the only one. She had a lot of friends. I’ve seen too many funerals in my life, and May’s was one of the ones that really showed me how much a person could be loved. I think it was everything you could have wanted for her, Pete.”

Peter pulled his hand away and wiped at his face and then looked back to Tony, the whites of his eyes around the rainbow irises red. “Thanks.”

Tony squeezed his hand. “She was buried beside your uncle. I can take you there.”

“Yeah, but maybe not yet.”

Surprised, Tony knew how much Peter had loved his aunt, he nodded his agreement and said, “We’ll need to get your hand taken care of first, obviously. That should be soon.”

Peter’s gaze moved down to it and said, “Yeah, it’s pretty gross.”

Tony leaned back in his seat and said, “Yeah, saving the world comes at a cost. Saving a city does, too. Ask me about the wormhole one day.”

Peter nodded and said, “Yeah, I remember watching that on the news with Uncle Ben. He said you were the bravest man he’d ever…” His eyes became distant, and his head tilted to the side.

“Pete?” Tony said, getting to his feet and turning Peter’s face to him. “You hearing me, kid?”

Peter continued to look blank, and Tony’s worry ratcheted up. He had seen this look before, after Rhodey’s fall when he would lose himself in the memory sometimes, the distant look that would end with a sucked in breath and hand to the chest to calm his racing heart. Tony hated the idea that Peter was going through anything like that now.

“Peter, you’re okay,” he said, pushing back the kid’s hair and rubbing his fingers over his scalp in hopes of soothing him. “I’m here, and you’re fine.”

Peter snapped back to the room, with a gasp and racing heart displayed on the monitor.

“You with me, kid?” Tony asked.

Peter nodded, though when his eyes fixed on Tony’s, it made him feel like he was being x-rayed by those rainbow irises. “I didn’t know,” he said. “Wow…”

“Didn’t know what?” Tony asked cautiously.

Peter stared at him another moment, and then he blinked, and his gaze became less intent. “Nothing.”

“What just happened?”

“Nothing.”

“You know I really doubt it. Come on, kid, you’re worrying me.”

Peter’s eyes fell to his injured hand, and he said, “It’s kinda personal. I shouldn’t even have…”

Tony nodded, though he was still raging with curiosity and more than a little worried, he said, “Okay. That’s fine. You don’t have to say anything you’re not comfortable with.”

Peter looked up again. “No, it’s not about me. It’s… I think it was Mind.”

Tony felt a chill at the further evidence of what those Stones were doing to his kid, talking to him. He wanted to know what they were saying, what it meant for Peter, and how he felt about it.

“What did Mind say?” he asked cautiously.

Peter seemed to need to force himself to look at Tony, and his expression was almost guilty. “Nothing. I’m tired.”

Tony knew he was using it as an excuse, but he figured the kid probably was tired after his breakdown and with the pain of his injury, so he stood and pressed the button to lower the bed. “Get some sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“You should go get some proper sleep, too,” Peter said. “Or go find Rhodey for the coffee.”

Tony huffed a laugh. “So, he’s Rhodey already, but I had to threaten you to get to Tony.”

Peter smiled slightly. “It’s different. He’s far less scary than you.”

Tony frowned. “I’m scary to you?” That was the last thing he wanted to be. Peter was his son, claimed by Tony to the team, though not to Peter yet. He didn’t want to be seen as scary.

“Not anymore,” Peter said. “But you were.”

Tony brushed back his hair and stroked his forehead. “Okay, kid. I’ll go track down Rhodey and the coffee. I’ll come back, though. You won’t be alone long.”

Peter’s eyes became distant again, and he gave a small nod. “I know.”

There was something about the way he said it that Tony didn’t like. It didn’t sound quite like Peter; it was closer to that formal tone that had declared him worthy. He wondered if that was the Stones replying and not the kid. He hoped not. Having discussions with sentient and all-powerful entities wasn’t something he wanted to deal with, not when they spoke through his son.

But they were right, whoever said it, now Peter bore the Stones, he would no longer be alone ever again. 

xXx

_‘Are you ready to talk to us now?”_

Peter cracked open his eyes, checked that Tony was gone, and then said, “Yeah. I think I am.”

He wanted to speak to Mind and to discover how it was he had seen and felt what he had when he’d been speaking to Tony. It had come out of nowhere, blinding him, and he was freaked out by it.

They’d just been talking, when Tony’s words had trigged the flood of images, thoughts, and feelings, _“…saving the world comes at a cost. Saving a city does, too. Ask me about the wormhole one day…”_

Then Peter had been there, inside the Iron Man suit with the bomb held above his head, the weight of it bearing down on him as he powered up towards the wormhole, and Mind was speaking, not in the way he usually did, words reaching into Peter’s mind, but an audible voice in the helmet. “Shall I call Miss Potts?”

Peter answered, but it wasn’t with his voice; it was with Tony’s. “You might as well.”

And Peter felt it, the fear and need to connect to the woman he loved one last time, to give him the strength to follow through with this. But the call didn’t connect, and Peter’s heart _—Tony’s heart—_ sank.

“Okay,” he’d muttered. “Let’s do this.”

He was flying higher, gaining speed, and then he was there, through the wormhole. Peter felt the thrill of success, the triumph of being strong enough to do it, and then the suit began to freeze around him. It was not designed to handle this, it might not be enough, he might not be strong enough to do it before he died. And he was scared. He couldn’t fail, but he didn’t want to die. He wanted Pepper.

Then the thought was banished as he saw what was above him. It was an armada of spaceships, at least ninety, all of them loaded with enemies that were eager to descend to earth and destroy everything and everyone he loved. His terror was tempered with determination. He would do this.

“Come on, Jarvis,” he said. “Get me there.”

“Sir—I—malfunctioning,” Mind replied, his voice crackling, but Peter knew now that it was not Mind; it was Jarvis, the original AI Tony created that became Vision.

He was close enough, he had to be close enough because if not, he’d never get out again. He let the bomb go. It flew ahead of him, crashing into the ship above, and he fell back, jettisoning his dead thrusters for speed and spinning down towards the wormhole, which was closing. He was almost out of time…

And then Peter was back. Staring up at Tony, who looked as scared as Peter had felt when he was in that memory—Tony’s memory—and when Tony said, “You with me, kid?” he had nodded and looked up into the eyes on the bravest man he’d ever known.

 _‘Come with me,”_ Mind said, returning Peter’s attention to the present.

Peter felt his eyes close, and then he was seated in a high-backed chair around a circular mahogany table with six other people. His surroundings were shadowy and unformed, just vague shapes. The only things that were clear were the table and the people seated around him. His eyes moved over them, his breath catching as he saw some he recognized.

“You’re Loki!” he gasped, pointing at the person two seats away. “I saw you on the news.”

The man shook his head, dark hair brushing his shoulders, and smiled. “I am Space, Peter Parker, and it’s _so_ good to meet you.”

Peter looked to Space’s right and saw another face he knew, though he’d not known the voice before. “You’re Vision, aren’t you,” he said. “Tony made you.”

“I was within Vision for a time, yes, and he came from Jarvis’s form before, but I am Mind now. And I am glad we can all talk face to face.”

Peter’s eyes darted around, seeing someone else he recognized, Peter Quill, who he was sure was not actually the man that held a gun to his head. Beside him was a small child, though she was like no child Peter had ever seen before. For starters, she was green. Next along from her was a woman with dark hair. On Peter’s right was Doctor Strange, but Peter had a feeling he knew who he was.

“You’re Time, right?”

He nodded. “I am. It’s good to meet you, Peter Parker.” He gestured to Quill and said, “This is Power,” Power gave him a mock salute. “Soul,” the small girl gave him a small wave. “And Reality.”

The dark-haired woman nodded at him and said, “Nice to meet you.”

Peter rubbed his hands over his face. “This is crazy… Totally crazy. How am I even here?”

“You are not technically here,” Mind said. “We are within your conscious mind. We believed a face to face meeting would be better than to continue with the telepathic connection.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s better. It was weird enough having one voice in my head. If you all started chatting, I think I’d go crazy for real. Not that I’m confident I’m not already. For all I know, this is some kind of hallucination. I am unconscious or whatever after the snap, and this is my brain tripping on chemicals. It would definitely make more sense than the other option, that I’m some kind of power source now that can…” He shook his head again. “And it would definitely explain Mr. Stark. I mean, he liked me, I’m sure. He wouldn’t have let me hang around otherwise, but he’s so different now.”

“It is the connection,” Soul said with her childish voice. “We thought you knew.”

“Yeah, soul connection, Mind told me. But even that’s crazy.” He looked around hopefully. “So, it’s really not a hallucination?”

Mind shook his head and said apologetically, “No. This is all very real.”

Peter sighed. “Figures that was too much to hope for. And it’s okay, I mean it’s not like I don’t like being alive and conscious and with Mr. Stark, but I’d really rather not have all that power.”

Reality spoke up, forming her words carefully. “We’re sorry for the burden. But it was not a choice we made. You were Worthy of us, and that sealed your fate.”

Peter shrugged. “It’s okay, I guess. I mean, Mr. Stark—Tony, I mean—says I saved his life doing it, so that’s great.”

“You saved the world, dude,” Power corrected. “That’s a whole other thing.”

Peter ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, it is, but it’s also kinda too much to think about. I mean, I’m sixteen. Being Spider-Man was already big enough for me, and then the Avengers thing came up, and I thought I wanted it, and then I figured that was too big. Now I’m saving the world, and there’s you and…” He groaned. “It’s all so big.”

“There stuff we need to talk about,” Power said, laying his hands down on the table and drumming his fingers.

Peter held up his hand. “Yeah, but can I ask something first? What happened earlier with Tony’s memory? How did I see that, and _feel_ it?” He shuddered.

“That was me,” Soul said quietly. “I thought you should know when you were reaching for him and he was reaching for you, that it would help your connection to understand his burden, too.”

“Uh… okay, but it was also kinda a gross violation. He told me to _ask_ him about it. He didn’t offer up his memories of what he’d done and how it had felt. He wouldn’t like me to know that. I don’t know him that well, but I know that.”

Mind shook his head, eyes assessing. “I think you know him better than you think.”

“You do,” Soul said. “You just have to be open to him.”

Peter spread his arms. “I’m open, wide open, I’m an empty fourth base when you’re skidding in, but I still don’t think I should know that stuff.” He fixed his eyes on the child. “Can you not do it again?”

Soul shrugged her small shoulders. “I cannot control it. If you reach for someone and they reach for you, you will see. You will need to learn control to stop it.”

Peter’s heart sank. He didn’t want to be dipping into the memories of the people he met. It was bad enough that he’d done it to Tony, who he did know, but the rest of the Avengers… If he met them, and judging what he’d seen when Space had carried him along for that conversation he was going to, he didn’t want to be violating their privacy.

“Okay, I need to learn that,” he said. “How do I learn it?”

“We’ll teach you,” Mind said. “But it will take time. You are Worthy but inexperienced.”

Peter snorted. “You heard the part about me being sixteen, right?”

“We did, but it is not mortal years that matter to you now. That reality has ended.”

Something pierced Peter’s chest like ice, and his heart struggled to cope with the horror. “Wait, mortality doesn’t matter? You mean I don’t die at all! What the hell? That’s… No!”

They all stared at him, penetrating him with their eyes, and Mind opened his mouth to answer, and then there was a crushing pain against his chest, and his eyes were flying open.

The room he’d been in had vanished, the Stones were gone, he was looking up into intense brown eyes under furrowed brows. Rhodey was bowed over him, his knuckles pressing against Peter’s sternum.

“Peter! You okay, kid?” he asked urgently.

Peter nodded. “Yeah… I’m…” He rubbed the sore spot on his chest. He could hear the rapid beat of his heart from the beeping monitor and the echoing thrum in his ears. “I just vagued out for a moment.”

Rhodey nodded. “I noticed.” He placed a hand over Peter’s chest and rubbed gently. “Take a few breaths.”

Peter obeyed, drawing them in deep and exhaling loudly, the thrumming in his ears fading as his heart slowed.

“Tony’s just getting something to eat,” Rhodey said. “He said you were sleeping, so I figured I’d come sit with you. What happened when you ‘vagued out’? That wasn’t a dream. You looked like you were awake. You scared the crap out of me.”

Peter shook his head and tried to keep his tone even. “I was just thinking, and then my hand was hurting.”

“There is something we can do about that, Mr. Parker,” a voice said by the door. A pretty woman with a kind smile came in and approached the side of the bed where his injured hand lay in the plastic case. “My name is Helen Cho, and we’re ready to get to work on your injury now. Are you ready?”

Peter nodded eagerly. “Yeah, definitely.”

She smiled and asked, “Would you like to wait for Tony to join us? I understand he was in your surgery before.”

“No, it’s fine. I can handle it, and he needs to eat.”

Rhodey squeezed his shoulder and said, “If you want company, I can stick around? I’ve never seen tissue being recreated by a scientific miracle before. Might be interesting.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Peter said, offering him a smile. “That’d be great.”

“Great,” Rhodey said. “Let’s get this done.”

Two men came in and unlocked the brakes on Peter’s bed and began to wheel him out of the room, Rhodey at his side and Doctor Cho ahead of them. Peter was relieved they were about to do something about his hand, though it was not as painful as he’d told Rhodey, but he was anxious about what Mind had said.

Peter needed to be able to die. Not yet, he figured another eighty years would be perfect, but the alternative, never dying, was horrifying. And it wasn’t like it was something he could ask until he was alone again.

It was going to be a long wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… I’m guessing you’re frustrated by that interrupted conversation. Sorry. We’ll get answers soon. What did you think of the Stones’ appearances? I wanted someone that each of them had been connected in some way. Loki was the tough one as I wasn’t thinking character when I started the story, and Mind was just supposed to be a voice. Loki would have worked better as Mind with the sceptre connection, but Snarks pointed out he was fond of the Tesseract, too, so I used him for Space.   
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “If you want company, I can stick around? I’ve never seen tissue being recreated by a scientific miracle before. Might be interesting.”  
> Peter gave him a small smile. “Yeah, thanks. That’d be great.”  
> “Okay,” Rhodey said. “Let’s get this done.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much Randomskycolor for pre-reading this chapter for me. Your feedback was invaluable. Snarkymuch was also a massive help in guiding the development of the story and chapter. 
> 
> Thank you all for reading. I watch the stats climb, and I am blown away by how many of you seem to be enjoying the story. You blew all hopes and expectations out of the water.

Rhodey wandered into the room, addressing the sleeping kid. “So, Pete, I’ve persuaded Tony to eat and change out of the scrubs for now, so it’s just you and me… Peter?”

He’d thought Peter was sleeping, Tony had said he was, but the kid’s eyes were open, but there was no awareness in his face at all. His lips were parted slightly, and his head slightly held away from the pillow, but his rainbow eyes were blank.

He rushed to the bed and touched Peter’s face. “Hey, kid, Hey! Look at me.” He patted his cheek, and Peter’s head jostled slightly.

Rhodey had seen this before, in the VA center where he’d been rehabilitating after his crash in the suit and his back had been broken, when the trauma patients had been lost in a flashback. He remembered the way they’d looked, how it had chilled him, and he knew the horror they’d woken from. One of them, the man they all called Ham even though his name was Richard, had one told Rhodey that being trapped in those memories was like being trapped in Hell.

Rhodey hated the idea that Peter was feeling even an iota of what Ham had told him about, and it made him harsh as he tried to reach him now.

He pinched his nailbed hard enough to turn the skin white and spoke loudly in his ear, “Peter, snap out of it. Look at me. I’m here. You’re not alone.”

Peter failed to rouse, and the speed of the heartbeat on the monitor picked up until it was racing. Peter made a soft moaning sound, and Rhodey abandoned caution and pressed his knuckles to Peter’s sternum and ground them in, growling, “Peter!”

Peter’s eyes widened, and he cried out, panting.

“Peter! You okay, kid?” Rhodey asked urgently.

Peter nodded. “Yeah… I’m…” His hand came to the spot Rhodey had triggered his pressure point, and he winced. “I just vagued out for a moment.”

Rhodey breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of his voice. “I noticed.” He rubbed the sore spot on Peter’s heaving chest gently and said, “Take a few breaths.”

Peter obeyed, seeming to calm down now, and the racing of the heart monitor slowed.

“Tony’s just getting something to eat,” Rhodey said, grappling for something normal to ground the kid. “He said you were sleeping, so I figured I’d come sit with you. What happened when you ‘vagued out’? That wasn’t a dream. You looked like you were awake. You scared the crap out of me.”

Peter shook his head, but he still seemed shaky. “I was just thinking, and then my hand was hurting.”

It was more than that, Rhodey knew, but before he could say anything, Helen Cho spoke up from the doorway. “There is something we can do about that, Mr. Parker.” She came deeper into the room, shot Rhodey a quick glance, and he nodded, knowing it was the right time to get the kid out of pain. “My name is Helen Cho, and we’re ready to get to work on your injury now. Are you ready?”

Peter nodded eagerly. “Yeah, definitely.”

Helen smiled and asked, “Would you like to wait for Tony to join us? I understand he was in your surgery before.”

“No, it’s fine,” Peter said, sounding a little relieved. “I can handle it, and he needs to eat.”

Rhodey suspected Peter needed a little space from Tony after whatever he’d just been through, but he didn’t want to leave him alone. “If you want company, I can stick around? I’ve never seen tissue being recreated by a scientific miracle before. Might be interesting.”

Peter gave him a small smile. “Yeah, thanks. That’d be great.”

“Okay,” Rhodey said. “Let’s get this done.”

Peter’s bed was unlocked, and they wheeled him to the door. Rhodey stayed at his side until they were out of the room, and then he stopped as he saw Steve standing just outside, watching Peter carefully.

“I’ll be right with you, Pete,” he said. “I’ve just got to talk to the Cap.”

Peter nodded, and they carried on while Rhodey went straight to Steve. “What’s up?”

“I’ve got to go to Washington,” Steve said. “They want someone to debrief on the battle.”

Rhodey nodded. “Yeah, I figure they would. I was worried they were going to call me in. I don’t want to leave the kid yet.”

“I thought that might be the case. We have agreed between us that the story is that Tony recreated the snap. According to Strange, that was how it should have happened. Would have happened if Peter hadn’t…”

“Been a hero,” Rhodey supplied. “Yeah. I figured.”

The thought that Tony would have died chilled Rhodey’s heart, and he was even more grateful to Peter for taking that fate away from his best friend than he could say. The fact that the kid had survived where Tony would have been lost was mind-boggling, but as had Tony had explained, the kid was worthy. Amazing, a hero, the world was saved at his hands, and he was worthy.

“I’ve got to go,” he said, gesturing after Peter where he was being wheeled away. “If you see Tony, tell him what’s happening, but make sure he knows not to follow. Don’t tell him which way we went. I’ll be with Pete, and I can handle it, and Tony needs to let me. I’ve already said it, but he’s got to trust us to help, too.”

Steve’s lips quirked into a smile. “Yeah, I think that might be a challenge. But I will try to get through to him.”

Rhodey clapped him on the shoulder, thanked him, and went after Peter.

They went through to a new room where Helen had set the equipment up for Peter. The kid looked nervous as he was transferred from his bed to a smaller cot, and his arm was stretched at his side on a stainless-steel shelf.

Rhodey was brought a seat, and he pulled it up close to Peter’s side and patted his shoulder. “You can handle this, kid.”

“I can,” Peter said with a quick nod. “And it will be better after.”

“It will,” Rhodey agreed. “You’ll be healed up. According to Clint, you won’t even notice the difference.”

“You won’t,” Helen said. “It will feel just like your own skin. You will have full sensation.”

“Great,” Peter said, and fixed his eyes on Rhodey and said, “Can you distract me.”

Pleased that Peter was telling him what he needed, Rhodey crossed his arms over his chest and said, “Sure. Hmm… what shall we talk about?”

“Mr. Stark?” Peter suggested.

Rhodey grinned, “Sure. I’ve got loads of stories about him, but you might want to call him Tony if you don’t want him fully grey. I don’t think he can pull of the silver fox look, and I don’t want to have to hold him down and deal with him moaning when he has to sit still long enough to get it dyed. I hear that takes a while.”

Peter nodded. “Yeah. Tony. It feels kinda wrong, though.”

Rhodey looked at the kid and marveled at him. Was it possible he really didn’t know how Tony felt about him? Tony loved him, he felt like his father. Did Rhodey need to shake sense into Tony to make him say that to Peter?

Tony wasn’t great with emotional stuff, he’d make a joke and divert instead, but this was important. Peter had lost all his family now, there was no one left at all but Tony from before. That was a conversation Rhodey and Tony needed to have. 

“It feels right to him,” Rhodey said.

Peter looked slightly distant again, and then he nodded.

“Okay, Tony stories,” Rhodey said. “Did you ever hear about the bunny?”

Peter’s lips quirked in an incredulous smile. “Tony had a rabbit?”

Rhodey laughed, pleased that Peter’s attention was still on him as Helen had started working on his hand. “No, that probably would have gone down better. He bought Pepper a fifteen-foot stuffed bunny as a gift. It was probably the ugliest thing I ever saw. These ridiculous ears and damn pink ribbon. Pepper sent me a picture, raging about his insanity. The funniest part is that Tony really seemed surprised she didn’t like it. It was crazy, Pete.”

Peter laughed. “That doesn’t sound like him. I mean, yeah, he’s kinda a go-big-or-go-home person, but I never really imagined him shopping for stuffed toys.”

“You’ve not seen him with Morgan yet. When I went to their place after she was born, I’d bought a teddy, little pink thing with a white ribbon, and I thought I’d done good. I gave it to Pepper since Tony had his hands full with Morgan,” he frowned slightly, remembering. “Well, he wasn’t handing her over any time soon, so Pepper took it to the nursery. I didn’t think anything of it until I went into her nursery before I left, wanting to see the mural Pepper had painted for her, and there was _the_ biggest pile of stuffed toys I’d ever seen. There had to be a hundred of them. Morgan was three days old, completely unaware of her surroundings, let alone the number of toys she had. Pepper said Tony had gone shopping while she was still in the hospital and went nuts.”

Peter laughed. “Yeah, I guess that sounds like him.”

Rhodey nodded. “Yep. That’s Tones. He does go over the top. I guess you know that from your suit.”

Peter rolled his eyes. “Yeah, he set up all these awesome functions in my first suit, and then locked me out of them with the Training Wheels Protocol.” He blushed slightly. “My friend Ned hacked them for me, so I got full access.”

“I’m sure Tony loved that,” Rhodey said.

Peter’s face fell. “No, he was pretty mad. But he should have been, I messed up, and he was right to take the suit away again, he was, but…” He trailed off, biting his lip.

Rhodey didn’t know what he meant about Tony taking the suit, but it wasn’t something he was going to ask Peter about when he was obviously already upset by what he was thinking. It was definitely another conversation he was going to have with Tony, though.

“Maybe he was right _then_ ,” Rhodey said. “We all make mistakes. I sure made enough over the years. But you’ve made up for it now, Peter. Don’t forget what you did.”

Peter didn’t answer, his gaze distant, and Rhodey squeezed his shoulder. “Hey, look at me. What’s going on?”

Peter didn’t answer, and Rhodey’s worry ratcheted up. He checked the heart monitor and saw it was steady, but it was like Peter wasn’t hearing him. He’d ‘vagued’ out again.

“What’s is happening,” a large Wakandan man said from his place at Helen’s side. “What is wrong with this child?”

“I don’t know, Doctor W’Kebe,” Helen said. “But we need to let it happen for a moment. I am at a pivotal part of the reconstruction, and I don’t want him jostled. Keep talking to him, Colonel Rhodes.”

Rhodey nodded, though he was worried, and said, “It’s okay, Peter. I’m here. You’re not alone. We’ve got you…”

xXx

Tony hurried back to Peter’s room, the last bite of his bagel still moving towards his stomach. He’d been hungrier than he’d realized, and he’d demolished the hot breakfast buffet and followed it with three bagels, the last of which he’d eaten as he walked. He knew Peter wasn’t alone as he’d sent Rhodey to sit with him—or Rhodey had sent himself—but he still wanted to be there.

He was close enough to see the open door and empty space where the bed had been when he turned the corner, and it was a moment before his eyes fell on Steve standing with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall.

“Where’s my kid?” Tony asked. “And what are you doing here?”

Steve held up his hands. “Peter is with Helen having the reconstruction treatment on his hand. Rhodey is with him. I saw them on their way down to the OR, so I thought I would wait here for you to come back.”

“Which way did they go?” Tony asked.

Steve looked apologetic. “I promised Rhodey I wouldn’t tell you. He said to leave this to him.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Of course, he did. Ass.”

“He seemed to think it was important that he be the one to do it.”

“I’m sure he did.”

Tony understood what Rhodey meant, Peter needed more than one person on his side right now. Still, getting his hand fixed was a big deal, and Tony wanted to be there for him. He trusted Rhodey, though, and knew he’d take care of the kid. And when they were back, Peter’s hand would be fixed, and maybe they could get him out of the hospital room. Though where they’d go next, Tony wasn’t sure.

There were plenty of places in Wakanda for them to stay, but where would T’Challa want them? Tony wasn’t sure how comfortable Peter would be staying in the palace. He’d always seemed awed by the compound’s more luxurious lines when they’d ventured out of the workshop on his visits, his wide eyes taking in the kitchen with its stainless steel appliances that Tony had never used and the spacious living area which was designed for a team that had been lost. The compound had nothing on the palace.

“You need clothes,” Steve said, breaking into his thoughts.

Tony looked down at the white scrubs he was wearing and said, “Yeah, I really do. I needed this get-up for the surgery, and my own stuff was kinda battle-worn.”

“Do you still keep the emergency stash in the Quinjet, or did you remove it?”

“It’s there,” Tony said.

The truth was he’d planned to remove all of his emergency stashes after Siberia, there would never be another Avengers mission, so there was no need for them, but he’d never gotten around to it. Perhaps a small and stupid part of him had been clinging onto what they’d once had. What seemed to be coming together again now, in small gestures and the shared experience of that battle and the current situation with Peter.

No. He couldn’t think like that. Iron Man was done. He had a family, both of his kids were with him now, and he wasn’t leaving them to go back to that life.

“Everyone has cleared out back at the compound,” he said. “Captain Marvel has taken off again, though she’s set Fury up with a way to contact her. Since the Snap was a Universe-wide thing, she’s got lots of planets she wants to check on. Peter Quill and his people, the Guardians, have headed back into space—they say they’re not fans of being on Earth, and they’ve got to find somewhere for their friend, Gamora. I think Quill was hoping she’d stick around, but apparently, she wants to branch off alone; he seems upset. And Scott and Hope have gone home to—”

Tony frowned. “Who?”

“Ant-Man and The Wasp,” Steve explained.

Tony huffed a laugh. “You know, with all the crazy that’s happened since, I forgot just how crazy that battlefield was. So, they’ve all gone?”

“They have, and I’ve got to go to DC,” Steve said. “They want a debrief on what happened. I’ve spoken to Strange, and he explained the way it was supposed to have ended. I think that will be a good cover story for us to use to hide Peter’s involvement.”

Tony nodded. “How was it supposed to have gone?”

Steve looked solemn. “You would have used the Stones yourself and recreated the Snap. No one else that was there is going to dispute the story. The only ones still sticking around the US that were there, outside our circle, are Scott and Hope, and they won’t say a thing about what Peter did. They know the story we’re going with. You. Strange said you’d prepared to do it yourself, modified the suit…”

Tony nodded. He’d created a gauntlet out of his suit, and he’d been prepared to snap himself. He’d thought it was the way it had to go, that it was on him. It would have been on him if Peter hadn’t stepped in, denying the fate the Time stone had shown Strange. Peter had saved his life.

“I figured it was,” he said. “I had a long time to think about what happened after the Snap, trying to work out why Strange had handed over the Time Stone, and it felt like it had to have been on me. But I didn’t understand how it was supposed to work until you showed up at my place.” He dropped his voice as he made an admission. “I didn’t want to do it, Steve. When you said there might be a way, I looked at my little girl and thought of what I’d be leaving behind. For a while, I let myself be a coward and hide from it. And then I saw this picture of me and Pete.” He smiled. “I only had a few of us together, but this one was my favorite as the kid was so damn happy in it.”

Steve nodded. “I have a feeling you made him very happy.”

“I tried, not that it saved him in the end. But I looked at that picture, and I couldn’t resist the idea I’d be able to get him back. I didn’t think I’d be there with him, but I had to do it. So, I set up the gauntlet in my suit. It didn’t turn out that way though, did it? Peter was the one to do it.”

“And we’re all grateful for it,” Steve said. “None of us know how he managed to buck fate, not even Strange, but you’re both alive. Sure, there are consequences, but they’re fixing Peter’s hand now, and the Stones thing… We’ll work it out.”

Tony nodded. “We will. We have to.”

Steve clapped him on the shoulder and said, “I’ve got to go. Expect a call from Ross once I’ve spoken to him since he’s going to want to hear it from you but remember—it was you.”

“I’ll not forget,” Tony said seriously. “I’m not having them sniffing around Peter, and if they knew what he’d done, they would. I don’t see them letting it end with a medal of honor for saving the world.”

“The Accords,” Steve sighed. “I know. But this might be our chance to do away with them. We proved we don’t need them.”

“Let’s hope,” Tony said. “Because my kid will be signing them only over my dead body. And if it comes to that, I’ll take Ross down with me.”

Steve chuckled. “I don’t doubt it. Come get your stuff out of the jet before I go.”

Tony nodded, glanced back at Peter’s empty room, and then followed Steve out along the halls, thinking how much better he’d feel once he was in his own clothes and how it’d give him something else to do apart from wait for Peter to get back.

He was glad his hand was being fixed, he’d be out of pain at last, and then they could work out what came next.

Like the Stones… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… A little Rhodey POV. I love his character and the dynamic he has with Tony. I thought he would be a good person to get on Peter’s side first. I know there weren’t answers in this chapter, but they’re coming next, I promise.  
> I have another question for you: Recognition. Peter really did save the world when he snapped, and an issue that’s coming later in the story is the government’s need to know more about what happened there. Would you want Peter to be ‘outed’ as the hero he was? He would get the recognition he deserves, but it would change his life completely. It would complicate so much for him—school, college, a peaceful life— and would, obviously, expose him as Spider-Man. I’ve got feelings about this, but I’d like to know what you think. Do you think it would be better for his part of it to remain unknown, for someone else to take the ‘credit’ to shield him from it, or do you want to see Peter recognized as a hero?  
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “He is not Peter Parker anymore,” T’Challa said serenely. “Not in the same way. His time of protecting people of his home of Queens is over. You need to find a new reality for him, a new way to be himself. I believe this is a great thing for the world, him having the Stones, and I think he can be made to see it the same way if he just understood the situation a little better. He needs to take up the role.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much Randomskycolor for pre-reading and Snarkymuch for all your help and support.  
> Thank you all for all the support you’re showing the story. You blow me away every day with the growing stats for bookmarks, kudos, comments, and subscriptions. I honestly never expected so many of you to enjoy the story. I wasn’t even sure I dared to post on AO3 at all with the quality of other stories out there. I thought this would be an embarrassing flop. I am so glad Snarks persuaded me to take a chance.  
> Thank you also to all of you that got in touch with your thoughts about the credit/responsibility and Peter. Thanks to you all, I’ve got a clear plan of what I am going to do next now.  
> One more thing and I’ll stop rambling… ;-) – I’m working on C27 now, and the climax of the story is beginning. It’s not the climax of the world, though. This will definitely be a series, and I have a clear plan for the next story already in mind. I hope you’ll join me for it.

Peter was okay; he was listening to Rhodey’s story and feeling good, even with his hand being reconstructed at his side, which would be cool to watch if it wasn’t, you know, happening to him, but then the mood turned. He was thinking about losing his suit, how it had felt, and then he was being dragged away and into his own mind again.

“We thought you would like to talk,” Mind said as soon as his eyes cleared and he found himself back at the table with the Stones.

Peter took a breath and looked around at them all, staring at him intently. He didn’t think he wanted to be there particularly, he’d apparently scared Rhodey when it had happened before, but he did need answers.

He sat up straight, braced himself, and said, “Can I die?”

Soul gave him a strange look. “You don’t want to.”

“No, obviously, well, not now—but one day. But you said mortal years don’t matter, that reality is over.” He bit his lip. “Does that mean I’ll never die?”

He held his breath as he waited for an answer, but no one seemed to want to give him one. They looked at each other, even Power looking unusually serious, and then Mind said, “The reality of death is over in the technical sense, yes.”

Peter’s breath rushed out of him, and he squeezed his eyes closed. “No,” he moaned.

“It’s not so bad,” Power said lazily. “We don’t die either, you know? We’re endless, and we’re happy enough.”

Peter opened his eyes and wasn’t surprised that they quickly filled with tears. “I don’t want to be endless.” He rubbed at his cheeks, which were now wet. “Can’t I change it?”

Mind stared at Soul for a moment, and she nodded. “You have some chance to change the situation, yes, we can help you, but you cannot have death.”

Peter sucked in a shaky breath. “What can I have?”

“Freedom,” Power said happily. “You can go and be where and what you want.”

“I think it would be easier for you if I explained,” Mind said, and Peter turned to him, his eyes pleading. “You are endless, Peter Parker. You have access to all worlds through us, all times and all planes. You can be injured, but you cannot die. You are sustained now by us.”

Peter nodded, sifting through his thoughts. “ _I_ don’t die, sure, but what about everyone else? Where do they go? Is there Heaven?”

“When people die, they go to the soul plane,” Soul said.

“But I don’t get that,” Peter said, unable to keep the misery from his voice.

Mind held up a hand and said, “You _must_ exist, Peter. You are us now. As long as you are, we will be. Our power will sustain and you with it.”

Peter rubbed at his face and broke it down into facts. He had to exist forever, that was a strange thought, but he guessed it was better than dying and everything stopping there. He liked the idea that there was somewhere for people to go, but he hated the thought he couldn’t. He wanted May and Ben to be somewhere better, not just gone, but to never have a chance to see them again in a life that would be endless was painful.

“So, when the people I love die, I’ll never see them again?” he asked.

“You could,” Soul said, her childish voice sounding eager as if it was offering candy, not the chance to see the people he loved again. “You can visit.”

“You have a choice,” Mind said. “As Power says, you’ll have freedom. You will live out your human years and then have a choice. You can recreate yourself in the image of a new life, you can go on as you are, or you can choose to rest your body and use your consciousness to explore the many planes and worlds..”

Peter drew a hitching breath. “And I really have no choice?”

Mind shook his head solemnly. “No choice in your fate, but your choice in where you reside.”

“You have us,” Time said. “With my help, you can be in any place or in time. You can visit any where or when at will.”

“And I can take you to the soul plane,” Soul added cheerfully.

“And I can take you through endless realities,” Reality said.

“So, I can stay as I am, turning into the wrinkliest old man in the universe, or I can start over—like as a baby?”

Time nodded. “You could experience a whole new life.”

“No,” Peter said, dismissing the idea instantly. “I’m not doing that.”

Time smiled slightly. “You might change your mind.”

“I won’t,” Peter said sharply. “I have one life, one family, and I don’t want a do-over. How would it even work? I’d get new friends and family, and then one day they’ll be dead, too, so I just keep starting over, losing everyone again and again, and—” He rubbed his fists into his eyes again and said, “I can see the people that die though, right? I can visit them all in the soul plane?”

“Yes,” Soul said. “You can visit whenever you like.”

Peter looked down at his hands on the tabletop and considered the prospect. He was not going to start over again and again, stacking up losses as people he loved came and went; that was not an option. Endless existence was too much, horrifying to never be able to die at all, but at least he could see the people he loved with the Stones.

That was the only positive thing he could find in this. People were going to die, Tony and Ned, Rhodey, would be gone just like May and Ben were, but it didn’t have to end there. Even with that, the reality of being endless was something he didn’t think he could bear. He was sixteen years old, and he’d already experienced so much in life; how was he supposed to handle that if it never ended?

“I know this is a lot to process at once,” Mind said. “And we can feel your struggle, but these are just some of the things you need to know.”

Peter nodded. “Yeah, I get that, but it’s so much. I want to get out of here. I need to talk to Rhodey.”

Mind nodded and said, “Of course.” He leaned over and patted Peter’s shoulder, and then Peter found himself snapping back to the room and voices he’d left behind.

“One more layer, please, Doctor W’Kebe.”

Peter’s eyes darted to the right, and he saw Rhodey staring at him with obvious worry.

“Welcome back,” Rhodey said, his eyes strained. “You okay?”

Peter nodded. “Yeah, I’m…” His lip started to tremble, and he found the words pouring from him without him being able to stop it. “I was talking to the Stones. They took me to this place, and they were all there, but they looked like people. One was Peter Quill who was on that planet with us, and Soul is a little girl that’s green, and Space is Loki, and Mind is Vision, and—”

Rhodey laid a hand on his heaving chest and said, “Easy, Peter. Just breathe.” Though his tone was calm and kind, there was no hiding the tension in his face.

Peter drew in two breaths, and he was horrified to feel tears pooling in his eyes again. “It’s too much,” he whispered. “The Stones said… I’m scared.”

Rhodey rubbed his chest and said, “Easy… Breathe…”

Peter tried, but he couldn’t control it. He didn’t want to live forever, and he didn’t want endless new lives. “I want to be Peter again,” he sobbed. “Just Peter. I don’t want to be powerful.” His voice broke. “I’m scared. Please… help me!”

Rhodey stared at him a moment, his eyes sad, and then he leaned over the bed and hugged Peter. He felt initially self-conscious, he hardly knew Rhodey, but he was soon overcome with the relief of being comforted while he was so overwrought, and he hid his face in Rhodey’s neck and sobbed.

He barely heard the words spoken above them, reminding him that they weren’t alone, “And… that’s us done…” and he didn’t care that he’d just broken down in a room of strangers. He just felt Rhodey’s warmth and embrace and tried to breathe. He was trying to process his feelings in the only way he could, by feeling it and releasing it the way May always told him to.

He was sixteen years old, a kid, and his life, a now infinite one, was never going to be the same again.

xXx

Tony was sitting in the chair in Peter’s room, eyes on the door and fingers drumming his knees. He was impatient. He wanted Peter back.

He felt like he’d been waiting forever when there was movement in the hall, and the end of a bed came into view. He jumped up, smile in place to greet them, and then his face fell as the bed was empty.

“Where’s Peter?” he asked when the man at the head of the bed appeared.

“He didn’t want to come back in the bed,” the man said. “His hand is healed now, so there was no need for him to.”

“Then where is he?”

The man shrugged. “Coming, I guess.”

He locked the bed in place and then disappeared. Tony stared after him and weighed his options. He could go looking for Peter and Rhodey, which would probably piss Rhodey off, or he could dig deep for some patience from a very short supply and wait.

He still hadn’t made his decision when he heard T’Challa’s and Rhodey’s voices coming along the hall, and he got to his feet and waited for them to appear.

“We have arranged a place for you to stay now that Peter doesn’t need to be in the hospital,” T’Challa said. “The rest of your friends are close, but the house we’ve arranged for you is small. There is just room for three.”

“Yeah, that’s great, “Rhodey said, but he sounded distracted.

Concerned, but pasting on a smile as Rhodey appeared at the door, Tony said, “Hey. Nice work snaking the miracle out from under me, Rhodes.”

Rhodey forced a smile, but his eyes seemed to have a message of warning in them. Peter filed in after him, and Tony understood the message at once. The kid was hurting. His rainbow eyes—would Tony ever get used to them?—were reddened and his face blotchy. He’d been crying again. But when he saw Tony, he smiled and held up his now perfectly healed hand. “All done,” he said with forced brightness.

“That’s great!” Tony said enthusiastically. “Let me see.”

Peter held it out, and Tony took it, manipulated the fingers, running his eyes from his elbow which had been burned and raw before, down to the palm which had been a horror of flesh and bone.

“Look at that, Cho outdid herself,” he said. “Feel better?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Peter said, though his voice gave away what he was really feeling, the pain 

“I thought you might like to clean up before you move to your new home, Peter,” T’Challa said. “There are clothes for you in the bathroom, Shuri picked them out.

“Okay, thanks… uh… King T’Challa,” Peter said awkwardly.

T’Challa laughed and placed his hand on Peter’s shoulder. “Just T’Challa is fine, Peter.”

Peter nodded and ducked into the bathroom Tony had been using while Peter was there. The door snicked closed behind him, and Tony’s eyes moved to Rhodey at once.

“What the hell happened?”

Rhodey ran a hand over his face, deep frown lines etching into his brow. “I don’t know. Something happened before when I came to sit with him; he wasn’t asleep, but he wasn’t aware either. I’ve seen it in trauma vets before when they’re locked in a flashback, and I figured that was it. I was able to get him out of it and calm him down, but it happened again when they were working on his hand, and I couldn’t get him out as he couldn’t be moved.

“So, he’s having flashbacks?” Tony asked, a freezing sensation in his gut that felt like he’d just been dumped with ice.

“That’s what I thought, but when he came out of it last time, he said something.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “The Stones are talking to him, Tone, we knew that, but it’s more now—he’s actually seeing them as people. And they said something to him which freaked him out. He’s scared of this power. I think it’s too much for him to handle.”

“They’re all talking,” Tony sighed. “He said it was just Mind, but if they’ve all started chatting, if he’s seeing them, and it’s intense enough to make him zone out to do it… What the hell do we do?”

Rhodey shrugged. “I don’t know. There’s all the obvious, talk to him, make sure he talks to us, of course, but we can’t take this power away from him.”

“And apparently, I can’t take the responsibility.” Tony pressed a hand to his chest, feeling his helplessness. “And I told him I would. It’s not something I can fix either, Mind said so.” His hands fisted, and he fought to unclench them. It wasn’t time for a show of anger.

“Peter’s state of mind is a concern for us all,” T’Challa said, reminding Tony of his presence. “But perhaps when we have more information, we will be able to help. Stephen Strange has gone to research the situation.”

“Yeah,” Rhodey said, “and I agree understanding might be good for him, but that doesn’t help us now. He’s got the Stones talking to him, taking him to some kind of inner place to see them. Unless we can find a way to persuade them to shut up and leave him alone, he’s never going to feel normal. That’s what he said he wanted. He just wants to be Peter.”

T’Challa shook his head. “That part of his life is over. He cannot be just Peter Parker anymore.”

Tony felt a flush of anger heat his face, but Rhodey placed a hand on his chest and said, “Easy.”

“He is not Peter Parker anymore,” T’Challa said serenely. “Not in the same way. His time of protecting people of his home of Queens is over. You need to find a new reality for him, a new way to be himself. I believe this is a great thing for the world, him having the Stones, and I think he can be made to see it the same way if he just understood the situation a little better. He needs to take up the role.”

Rhodey frowned. “What exactly do you think his role is? I mean, how is it a great thing?”

T’Challa looked surprised. “Because the world now has the most powerful protector it has ever possessed. Can you imagine any threat being enough to pose a challenge to him now that he has the Stones?”

Tony’s chest lifted with a sharp breath. “You want Peter to be a weapon?”

“No, I want him to be a protection from others’ weapons. Think of what has happened in the world. You, the Avengers, have faced many foes and succeeded, but there were losses. Thanos was the greatest we’ve seen, but he’s not the greatest out there.”

Rhodey seemed to be mulling over the possibility, eyes distant and face thoughtful, but Tony didn’t need to think before answering in a growl. “No. Peter is not becoming a weapon for anyone. When you said great, I thought you meant a shield, we need that, yeah, but Peter can’t be some kind of world protector.”

“Tone…” Rhodey said, holding up a placatory hand.

Tony cut a hand through the air. “No, I’m serious. He has done enough, too much, already. We’re not putting the fate of the world on his shoulders, not again. He never should have been in that position with the gauntlet, that was on me, and I’m not letting him face a choice like that again.”

“You may not have a choice,” T’Challa said calmly. “And it may not happen. Perhaps his presence will be enough to deter threats if he has the control and knowledge.”

Tony was on the point of answering when the bathroom door opened, and they all spun to look at Peter, who was dressed in black pants and a grey shirt, looking embarrassed.

“It’s okay, Mr. Stark,” he said. “I understand what I have to do.”

Tony was too taken off guard by the tone of Peter’s voice to correct the use of his name; he sounded so resigned. “Pete…” He trailed off helplessly.

“I wasn’t eavesdropping on purpose,” he said. “Senses dialed up to eleven and all that. I heard what you were saying, and I think King T’Challa is right. With what the Stones said…” He flinched. “I understand _why_ I can’t…” He cut himself off and bit his lip. “I think this is my role, why I am here, why they chose me. They do want to help. Mind said they want to do good, to fulfill their purpose, so that’s what I have to do.”

“We will help you in any way we can,” T’Challa said.

Peter smiled slightly. “Thanks, but I think I need the Stones to help me with this. They said they’d teach me to harness them.” He shrugged and looked to Rhodey. “I’m sorry I scared you and for… you know… having a meltdown, but it’s okay now. I know what I have to do.”

“Peter!” Tony said harshly. “I’m not letting anyone turn you into a weapon!”

Peter stared at him for a moment, those disconcerting rainbow eyes intense, and then he said, “I won’t be a weapon. I’ll be a shield.”

Tony raked a hand through his hair. He understood what Peter was saying, what he wanted, but Tony knew better than anyone that a shield could become a weapon. Steve had proved that in Siberia, and there was Ultron, who was supposed to be armor around the world. Tony’s intentions had been good, but it had cost lives.

As if he was reading his mind, and they’d been friends so long, perhaps he’d picked up the knack, Rhodey said, “I think Pete’s right, Tone. This isn’t Ultron, who had his own consciousness and intelligence without morality. This is coming from Peter, his heart.” He nodded and smiled at Peter, who looked relieved to have him on his side. “If this is what you want, kid, I’ll do whatever you need to me to do to help.”

Tony fought the urge to look away as Peter looked at him, his eyes now pleading as he said, “Tony? Please…”

Tony sighed, “Great power, huh?”

Peter smiled slightly and nodded. “Exactly. I didn’t want it, but I have it, so I have to do the right thing with it.”

Tony forced himself to smile reassuringly, hiding the unease he felt. “Then, I’m with you.”

He wasn’t worried about Peter hurting people, he thought Rhodey was right that his heart would protect him, but he hated the idea of that responsibility being on Peter’s shoulders. It was too much for anyone to handle. He saw now that the place of responsibility he’d taken in it for Peter’s sake, said as a vow, not reassurance, was going to weight heavy on him, too, because there was so little he could do.

xXx

“What did you learn?” the woman asked, looking up from the mango she was examining at the market stall as he approached.

He moved to her side and examined the wares for sale, keeping his voice low. They had to create these conversations in circumstances of happenstance meetings so as to avoid suspicion of others that would reach to T’Challa.

“The child is scared of the power. He broke down after a vacancy. He is talking to the Stones. They have a physical form within him as people. One of them is the Mind Stone creation, Vision.”

“This is too much,” she hissed. “They’re manifesting and communicating with him.”

“I agree. And he’s out of control through his fear. He is a threat.”

She tutted. “We knew he was a threat from the moment he showed an ability to hold people away from him. That kind of power in the hands of anyone is too great, but the child is only sixteen years old!”

“I agree, but what do we do?”

“We remove the threat; remove the child. He must be killed.”

“He is well protected, and not just by the Stones. It will be hard to find a weapon strong enough to defeat the Stones’ ability to shield him.”

“Then we will use his biology.” She looked him in the eye. “Poison. You have experience with this.”

“I have experience with _medicine_.”

“I understand that all medications have the possibility of poison if given in the wrong amount.”

“But it took specially created serums to give him pain relief and anesthesia.”

She narrowed her eyes, placed the mango down, and said, “Then use them,” in a venomous whisper. “For the honor of Wakanda?

He knew he had no choice. He would find something that would work. An overdose, perhaps. He nodded stiffly, new strength and resolution rushing through him. “For the honor of Wakanda, I will do my duty.”

She nodded and walked away quickly, leaving him to his thoughts in the bustling marketplace. 

His mission was at his feet. This was for Wakanda. His king would not see this, and it could cost his life by being seen as a traitor. But he loved his country and people. He would sacrifice himself to protect them.

He had a family, and the powerful child was a threat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… Lot’s going on in this one. Peter’s accepting his fate as a shield, he knows that he is now endless, and there is a new threat on the horizon thanks to the unknown POV. How do you feel about that? I’m especially curious to see how you feel about the fact Peter is essentially immortal? This is probably my Twilight/Supernatural roots coming out, and I’ve not seen it in any Marvel story I’ve read before — though admittedly my reading has been limited. Sate a writer’s curiosity and ease her fear, let me know what you’re thinking.  
> Are any of you on Twitter/Tumblr? I have a Twitter account (@Jadeys_World) and Tumblr (clowns-or-midgets-fic) and I am struggling to find other Marvel blogs/accounts to follow. My Twitter streams is pretty much a;l SPN right now. Drop me your usernames so I can follow if you've got one.   
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “…you have to admit you were pretty emotionally closed off before. Sure, you let me in, but that took a long time, and then Pepper, eventually, but you didn’t let yourself really show the love until Morgan was born. That’s what Peter needs to see. Show it, don’t say it.”   
> “How?”   
> Rhodey shook his head, his eyes fond but brow furrowed. “Same way you show Morgan.”  
> “I don’t think Peter is going to be up for bedtime cuddles, Rhodey.”  
> Rhodey raked his hands over his face. “You know what, I’m not doing this. You know how to love since you’re already doing it, so you’ll work out how to show it, too.”  
> Tony scowled. “That’s helpful.”  
> “I think it’s probably more helpful than me giving you a list of ways. It’s got to come from your heart, not mine. Peter would be able to tell the difference if you were playing a role. He’s a smart kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much Randomskycolor for pre-reading, and you all for reading and. I passed two milestones in kudos and comments with the last chapter, which meant the world to me. Really, you guys enthuse me to write every day. I can’t thank you enough xxx

Tony tipped his head against the back of the couch and sighed. The strains of Bad Company were playing on his phone, hooked up to the playlist Jarvis had created for ease after many song requests when he was working in the workshop. Friday had inherited it from his data, and she played it automatically when he stepped through the doors. He’d put it on now to calm himself down, to put him in the mindset of working on something familiar and soothing the way he did before.

T’Challa had said this house was small, big enough for three, but what he’d apparently meant was that it only had three bedrooms. They, along with the living room, kitchen-diner, bathrooms, and formal dining room, were huge. It made Tony smile to think he wasn’t the only person that went big on stuff like this.

“You’re thinking too loud,” Rhodey said, looking up from his phone where he’d been scrolling through messages.

Tony huffed a laugh. “Then distract me.”

Rhodey set down his phone on the table and leaned back beside him. There was a moment of silence, apparently as Rhodey mulled over a good distraction. “He’ll be okay.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Is that supposed to distract me?”

“No, but I think it’s something you need to hear anyway. He _will_ be fine.”

Tony leaned forward and said, “Friday, crank it up.”

The music’s volume grew loud enough that Tony had to speak up for Rhodey to hear him, but he thought it was loud enough to block their voices if Peter’s dialed-up senses were picking up what was happening at all the at the rear of the house. That was if he was awake. He’d said he wanted to lie down, but Tony thought it was more likely that translated to spending time talking to the Stones again. After all, he was embracing the power, so that meant they’d need to help him learn.

Rhodey stared at him for a moment and then rubbed his chin. “You want to talk about this?”

Tony shrugged. “It won’t change anything. He’s decided.”

“No, it won’t, but it might help you process it.”

“You sound like Sam,” Tony griped.

He expected Rhodey to laugh, but instead, he was surprised to see that he frowned and nodded.

“Yeah, I think we need him.”

“Need Sam?” Tony asked. “What the hell for?”

Rhodey raised an eyebrow in his familiar, though less common in the past five years, can-you-really-be-this-stupid look and said, “For Peter. He’s going to need someone to talk to. You didn’t see him before, Tone. The kid _broke_. I know he seems calm and connected now, accepting what he has to do—”

“He doesn’t _have_ to do anything,” Tony growled.

“—But he’s still got a lot going on that he might need to talk out with an expert,” Rhodey went on as if he’d not heard him. 

Tony rubbed a hand over his face. “I’ll ask him about it. He might not want to talk, though. Yeah, on some things, you can’t shut him up, but he also plays the big stuff close to his chest sometimes.”

“Maybe you weren’t listening hard enough.”

Tony’s head snapped to him, and he scowled. “You don’t think I listen to my kid?”

Rhodey held up a placating hand. “I think you listen to him when you can, but I think that’s pretty recent, and I don’t think Peter knows he can share yet. For you, it was five years of missing him, grieving for his loss, but for Peter, it was, what—a few minutes? He disappeared on you, then he was back and in battle. He had no time to see the changes in you. You’re open to him now, I can see that clear as anything, and I understand it since I’ve got more than my own fair share of love for the kid—he has a way of worming into your heart—but I don’t think he knows.”

Tony looked away and considered. As little as he liked to admit it, he thought his friend was right. He’d been careful with Peter before, keeping him at a distance emotionally, telling him they weren’t ‘there’ yet, not even when they really were.

He remembered Peter’s shock when he hugged him on the battlefield, the kid’s surprised words, _“_ _Oh, this is nice.”_

He’d given him time and attention before—more than the kid knew since he’d monitored Karen’s view of Peter’s patrols through Friday’s connection—and he would continuously tweak the kid’s suit when he’d bring it for their weekend ‘intern’ time in the workshop, waiting for the day he could give him the upgraded suit. Still, he hadn’t given him more affection than a nudged fist on the shoulder and the occasional ruffling of the kid’s hair, which had made him wriggle away and try to fix it, though he’d always smiled doing it.

“He called you Mr. Stark,” Rhodey added.

Tony felt himself deflate with a heavy breath. “Okay, I might have been a little distant, but how do I fix that now? I can’t just announce that I love him and expect him to get on the same page as me in a heartbeat.”

Rhodey chuckled. “You’re already more than halfway there, Tone. The kid loves you to death; he’s just not aware of how you feel. As for what you do… I don’t think telling him will cut it. He’d probably think you’re saying it to give him a boost while he’s got all this going on. You’ve got to show him that _you’ve_ changed as much as him.”

“How have I changed?”

“You’re a real dad now. It’s not something you’re hiding and probably denying to yourself the way you were before. It changed when you lost Peter, and then Morgan was born.” He smirked. “Your heart grew three sizes with that baby girl.”

Tony punched his arm. “I am not the damn Grinch.”

“Maybe not anymore, but you have to admit you were pretty emotionally closed off before. Sure, you let me in, but that took a long time, and then Pepper, eventually, but you didn’t let yourself really show the love until Morgan was born. That’s what Peter needs to see. Show it, don’t say it.” 

“How?”

Rhodey shook his head, his eyes fond but brow furrowed. “Same way you show Morgan.”

“I don’t think Peter is going to be up for bedtime cuddles, Rhodey.”

Rhodey raked his hands over his face. “You know what, I’m not doing this. You know how to love since you’re already doing it, so you’ll work out how to show it, too.”

Tony scowled. “That’s helpful.”

“I think it’s probably more helpful than me giving you a list of ways. It’s got to come from your heart, not mine. Peter would be able to tell the difference if you were playing a role. He’s a smart kid.”

Tony sighed tiredly. He thought Rhodey was right, but he had no idea how to _show_ a sixteen-year-old boy— _not just a boy, a hero, a damn hero—_ that he loved him. With Morgan, it had been different. They were the first words he’d said to her. She was placed in his arms, seconds into life, slimy with blood and wailing, and he looked down into her scrunched-up face and told her that he loved her. He’d felt it, too, an overwhelming surge of adoration for the wriggling mass in his arms.

It was different to how it was with Peter. Rhodey was right; he’d not let himself admit it with him. It wasn’t until the kid was in his arms, scared and in pain as his body turned to ash, that he’d realized how he really felt. When he’d seen Morgan, he’d known that nothing in his world would ever matter more to him than protecting that innocent baby from the harm the world would do to her. That changed when he got Peter back, he’d had two kids to protect, though he’d failed at that within moments when Peter had rushed into the fight, leading to him putting his hand into that gauntlet and what followed.

He wouldn’t fail again. If it took his last breath, he would protect both his children from anything the world threw at them, even if that meant supporting Peter as he embraced the power of the Stones.

Before he could say anything, there was a knock on the door, and Rhodey got up to answer it. Steve came in, arms laden with grocery sacks and K-Mart bags hanging from his wrist.

“I picked up a few things for the kid while I was in DC,” he said by way of explanation when Rhodey relieved him of the sacks. “Some proper American food I thought he’d like and some clothes.”

“That’s great,” Rhodey said. “He’ll appreciate that. Thanks, Steve.”

Steve set the K-Mart bags down on the table and said, “How’s he doing? His hand?”

“It’s good as new,” Tony said. “And he’s okay.”

“Friday, turn it down,” Rhodey said. The music quietened, and Rhodey called, “Pete, you awake?”

Tony frowned, not thinking it was a good idea to expose Peter to Steve when he’d witnessed the conversation in which they’d discovered the connection between Peter and the Stones in which, though he’d come down on their side and stood against Thor for Peter’s sake, Steve not exactly been pleased by the news.

Tony looked back over his shoulder and saw Peter coming along the hall, barefoot and rumpled. He looked surprised to see their guest, a little wary, but it soon turned to shock when Rhodey said, “The Cap’s stocked you up on good old American junk food and some clothes.”

Peter’s eyes darted between Rhodey, Tony, and Steve, and he said, “You went shopping for _me_?”

Steve shrugged. “Figured you’d like some stuff from home, and since I didn’t know where your actual home, apart from Queens, was to pick up your own stuff, this was the best I could do.”

Peter ducked his head. “My… uh, my aunt died, and I lived with her, so I’m pretty sure all my stuff is gone, so that’s kinda…” He looked up and smiled a little. “But thanks. It’s really nice of you.”

Steve waved a hand. “No problem.”

Tony cleared his throat. “I kept hold of your stuff after May died. I actually kept hold of the apartment.”

“You kept the—" Peter visibly brightened. “Really? Wow, thanks, Tony.”

Steve gave Tony a puzzled look, and Tony averted his eyes. He knew what Steve was thinking, why hang onto the home and belongings of a dead family when they’d never come back for them, and Tony wasn’t about to admit he’d done it for himself. That’d he’d had a cleaning crew go in once a month to keep the dust at bay, and that he’d visited it twice a year, on the anniversary of Peter’s loss and his birthday, just to feel connected to the kid for a while, looking around the room he’d been in when both their worlds changed, where he’d met the kid and seen his heart in some of the first words he said to him about the responsibility of power.

“We’ll go there when you’re ready,” Tony added.

Peter nodded but didn’t look as pleased now. Tony wondered if it was hesitancy to go to the place he’d lived with his aunt and uncle, to face the loss, or something else.

Rhodey rooted in one of the grocery sacks Steve had brought and pulled out a pack of tootsie rolls and a box of pop tarts. “Now we’re talking. I love these things.”

“They’re for Peter,” Steve said sternly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Unabashed, Rhodey waved a hand and said, “He’ll share. He’s great like that.”

“How did it go in DC?” Tony asked as Peter came forwards at Rhodey’s gesture and began to look at the things Steve had bought with occasional exclamations of pleasure.

Steve came deeper into the room and sat down in the armchair. “It was tense. The world really is pretty crazy right now, but the bureaucracy is back on its feet in a big way. They’re going to be calling you for a report on what happened, but I went over the prepared story.” He chuckled. “You’re quite the hero right now, Tony.”

“He always is a hero,” Peter said.

Tony stared at him for a moment, lips parted with surprise. The easy way Peter said it, as if he was stating that grass was green and the sun hot, made him feel a swoop in his stomach. Peter Parker, the kid that saved the world and now held more power than any of them had ever imagined, still thought Tony was a hero. He didn’t know what he’d ever done to deserve that kind of loyalty and admiration, but he was never going to let himself take if for granted again. 

Peter held up a t-shirt with a smiley face on it and frowned as Rhodey chuckled. Tony guessed Steve’s choices were going to all be a little different from Peter’s usual style. Steve’s experience with children was limited to Clint’s kids, and that was minimal. Still, he’d obviously tried, and it apparently meant something to Peter.

“They want me to report, too,” Rhodey said. “I had three summons emails so far, and a voicemail from the general telling me they needed an after-action review from me. I figure I’ll leave tomorrow and get it done and back as soon as I can.”

“Why would they want to hear it from you when Captain America already told them?” Peter asked, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. “Don’t they believe him?”

Peter had accepted their explanation of how they were going to cover his involvement in the battle and what he’d done to end it, seeming relieved.

Though the fact Steve had been summoned to DC under the promise that the Accords had been discarded following the defeat of Thanos and that there would be no repercussions for his ‘crimes,’ no one wanted Peter involved with the government, even without the Accords being part of it now. They’d have questions and concerns, not least of all how a sixteen-year-old had managed the power of the gauntlet and Stones. Tony would die before he let them know about Peter’s new status with the Stones. They would want to turn him into a weapon at worst, a poster child at best, and Peter was not going to be a part of any of that.

Steve shook his head. “It’s Steve, or Cap if you like, kid, but Captain America is a little too formal.

“Okay… uh, Steve,” Peter said tentatively.

Steve smiled and went on. “And I’m sure they believe me, but they’re going to want more than one person’s explanation. And it’s a military procedure to get the AAR from Rhodey. He was the only official serving soldier on the battlefield.”

Still looking a little wary, Peter nodded and turned his attention back to the food and clothes, though Tony was sure he was still listening hard.

“How was Ross?” Tony asked.

Steve sighed. “Insufferable. I thought he was bad when he was Secretary of State, but as President, he’s really quite the asshole.”

“Language,” Tony chided with a smirk.

There was a thud as Peter dropped a box Milk Duds. “Wait! He’s President! The Accords man?”

“Yep,” Tony said, running a hand through his hair. “Ellis was snapped along with you, and Ross had the loudest voice in the aftermath. He said it pretty much backed up everything he’d talked about with the Accords, saying if the Avengers were monitored and directed, it wouldn’t have happened.”

“That’s… That’s crazy!” Peter sputtered.

“It is,” Rhodey said. “But you’ve no idea what the world was like after, Pete. People needed guidance, someone to blame, and someone else to obey, so Ross got the top job.” He turned to Steve. “What about Ellis now he’s back?”

Steve chuckled. “It’s technically classified, but he appeared back in the oval office and almost gave Ross a heart attack. They’ve set him up as Second Chair, technically an adviser to the President, but there’s already rumblings about returning the leadership as it was before the snap.” He shrugged. “Ross’ point about us has basically been negated since it was an Avenger that saved the world.”

“Which is true,” Rhodey said, slapping Peter on the back. “Even if they don’t know the real story. It was the newest Avenger that pulled it off.”

Peter smiled slightly, but his eyes had that distant look, as if he was listening to something none of them could hear. Tony wondered which one of the Stones it was.

“I’ve got Friday working on a tracking program,” Tony said. “She’s working through records to create a database of people’s new addresses so people can find their family. Friday, how’s that going?”

“Almost complete,” she replied. “Would you like me to send it to the authorities or upload it direct to the internet?”

Tony pressed his fingers to his eyes. He didn’t want it to get bogged down with red-tape, but he also didn’t want it to be used by the wrong people. One of the projects Pepper put Stark Industries donations into was protecting victims of domestic violence. If the wrong people used it to track down their former victims, it could end ugly.

“No, we can’t put it online,” he said. “But I don’t want Ross getting his hands on it and making it into a money-spinner. Ideas?”

Peter looked up, his hand clutching a pair of jeans, and his brow furrowed. “You could create a company to do it, to make the connections privately, so people are only found and reunited if they want to be. Kinda like when people track adopted parents. You’re given a choice.”

Steve stared at him with a quirked brow. “That’s actually a really good idea, Queens.”

Peter stared at him a moment, his rainbow eyes slightly vague, then he nodded and a smile flickered across his lips as he said, “Thanks, Brooklyn.”

Rhodey laughed and clapped his hands. “See, Steve, he’s way more than a web-slinging world savior. He’s actually pretty damn smart, too.”

“Genius,” Tony corrected.

Peter’s cheeks flushed with color, and he said, “Uh… I’m going to get this stuff put away in my room.” He gathered the K-Mart bags and carried them away.

When the door had snicked closed behind him, Steve said, “You know, that really _is_ smart. Why didn’t we think of it?”

“We’re old, and our brains are slowing down,” Rhodey said easily, tearing off the lid of the box of milk duds and shaking some into his palm.

Steve snatched the box away with a scowl and said, “They’re for Peter!”

Rhodey grinned. “Sure, he’s your favorite. That’s fine. Tony is the same.”

Tony quirked a brow. “And you’re any different?”

Rhodey laughed and popped a piece of candy into his mouth from the small stash Steve had left him with.

Steve frowned. “Favourite? No. I don’t know him. I just thought it would be nice for him to have some familiar stuff from home around. I should go anyway. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

Without explanation, he waved a hand and left, letting the door swing closed behind him.

“He’ll see us tomorrow?” Tony asked.

Rhodey shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I’ve not arranged a play date. It might not be a bad idea to get Peter together with the others, though; he needs to see the support he has around him.”

Tony considered. “Yeah, probably true, but we’re not telling them about his plan to embrace the power.”

Rhodey stared at him for a moment, looking a little disappointed, and then he said, “We won’t tell them since it’s not ours to tell, but you’ve got to be ready for Peter to tell them. In case you didn’t notice, he just went from stuttering around Captain America to calling Steve ‘Brooklyn’.”

Tony nodded, recognizing the difference for the first time now as he’d been distracted before. “Yeah, that was quite the turnaround. What do you think it was?”

“No idea exactly what, but I’d lay money on it being something to do with the Stones.”

Tony flopped back in his seat and pressed a hand to his temples. “So, you think they’re making him some kind of divining rod for people to trust?”

“Maybe. It’s good if he is because he’s going to need to trust all of us.” He clapped his hands. “I’m going to crash so I can leave early tomorrow and get back faster. I want this crap dealt with quick so we can move onto the good stuff.”

“Like?”

“Like Peter,” Rhodey said cryptically, walking from the room.

Tony stared after him and then said. “Friday, cut the music and put a call in to Pepper. I’ve got to deliver the good news that she needs to create a brand-new company.”

“Incoming call already processing…” Friday said.

Tony leaned forward in his seat and pasted on a smile. He knew Pepper would do what he asked as she would be as sympathetic to the people that needed to be reunited with their families as he was, but he was also aware he was putting something else on her when he wouldn’t be there to pick up the slack.

He expected it to be her face that came on the hologram when the called connected, but it was Happy, and he looked thunderous.

“Uh, hey, Hap,” he said.

“You didn’t call!” Happy growled. “Four days, and you don’t call!”

“We’ve had a lot going on,” Tony said defensively. “In case you missed the news, we went to war.”

“Yeah. I noticed. What I want to know is what happened to the kid. Pepper said he is back but hurt, so talk!”

Tony’s breath gusted out of him in a laugh. He’d figured Pepper would keep Happy updated on what was going on with them all, but he’d overlooked the fact Happy cared about Peter, too. Rhodey was right; Peter had a way of worming into your heart.

He held up a hand and said, “Peter’s fine, Hap, really. It was bad, yeah, but…” He grinned. “You might want to get comfy. I’m going tell you how that kid saved the world…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… A bit of a bond developing between Peter and Steve. I can’t tell you how much of a relief to write that is as I was struggling with Steve before. The connection on Peter’s side will be explained in the next chapter, but it’s basically the Stones again.   
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter didn’t say anything; he couldn’t because his throat had swollen shut, and his eyes were burning. He crossed the room in four strides and threw his arms around May, pulling her against him and tucking his face into her neck.   
> “Okay…” she said slowly. “What’s this about?”  
> “I missed you so much,” Peter said, voice strangled.   
> One hand pressed against his back, and the other stroked the back of his neck, fingernails gently scratching his skin in the way that had always soothed him.   
> She held him a long time and then pulled back, hands falling onto his shoulders, and she said, “Did you have a nightmare?”  
> Peter nodded, wiping at his face which was wet with tears. “Yeah, I really did. I thought I lost you. You were…”  
> “I’m here, honey,” she said. “You didn’t lose me. I’m always going to be here.” She kissed his cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much Randomskycolor for pre-reading, you’re a star, and you all for reading. I appreciate each and every one of you.   
> I am almost done writing this story now. I’ve just set up for the climax chapters, and they’re going to be… Well, I think 50% of you are going to be out for my blood. The other 50% will let me live to so I post Part Two of the series ;-)

Captain America raised an eyebrow and said, “That’s actually a really good idea, Queens.”

Peter was a little offended that he seemed so surprised that he’d had a good idea, he’d had plenty before—along with some epically bad ones—but then he felt a voice whisper into his mind, a childish voice that seemed to hold command, _‘Feel him…’_

Peter wasn’t sure what Soul meant, but then the sensation rushed over him. It seemed to come from Captain America, like a ray of sunlight breaking from behind a cloud that touched his chest and made him feel warm.

 _‘Do you feel?’_ she asked.

Peter nodded, and he felt his lips curl into a smile as he said, “Thanks, Brooklyn.”

Rhodey laughed and clapped his hands. “See, Steve, he’s way more than a web-slinging world savior. He’s actually pretty damn smart, too.”

“Genius,” Tony said.

Peter’s cheeks heated as he realized what he’d just called Captain America, and he said, “Uh… I’m going to get this stuff put away in my room.”

He gathered the bags and hurried into the bedroom he’d been settled in. He set the bags in the closet to be unpacked later, then threw himself down onto the bed, punched his pillow into a comfortable shape, and then flopped back and said, “Okay, what was that?”

 _‘Would you like to speak to us?’_ Mind asked.

“Uh… yeah.”

_‘Then come.’_

He was on the point of asking how, and then he found himself sinking deeper into the bed, and his vision dimmed. When they cleared, he was back in the room with the Stones. They were seated around the mahogany table, but he was standing, and his eyes were roving around.

“Whoa! What happened in here?” he asked.

Before, the room had been shadowy and unformed, but now his surroundings were clear. They were in a room with walls that were a combination of glass and grey concrete, doors with keypads beside them, stainless steel tables spread around with tools and scraps of metal on them. On the table they were seated around, positioned in the center of the room, was a glowing panel that Peter knew would have been the base for a hologram display in another world.

“This is Mr. Stark’s workshop in the Avengers compound,” he said. “I used to come here.”

“You did,” Mind agreed.

“Did you make this?” he asked.

Reality raised her hand. “You and I made it together. This is just a representation in your own mind.”

“I… uh… don’t remember making it.”

Power laughed. “You wouldn’t. You’ll get there, though, since you’re already tapping into our awesome selves.

“Okay, sure, but what happened with Captain America? That was _weird._ I was just talking, and I really wasn’t comfortable, and then—” He raked his hand through his hair. “I made an ass of myself by giving him a nickname!”

Soul smiled shyly. “He was reaching for you. You felt it because you felt me.”

“And you really didn’t make an ass of yourself,” Space said with a wide smile. “He was pleased.”

Peter frowned. “Okay… but why was he doing it? I saw their conversation about me and you guys, and he wasn’t strong on my side. Though I guess he stood for me against Thor, so that’s something. I don’t understand why he would be reaching for me now, though. Not that I’m not grateful, but I called him Brooklyn, which was a total brain fart, and last time we were in the same place, I apparently threw him through a glass door.”

Mind rubbed his chin. “The why I do not know. Soul?”

She shrugged her small shoulders. “I don’t know. But he was. I felt it. It was not as strong as Mr. Stark or Colonel Rhodes, but it was there.”

“Rhodey?” Peter said. “I didn’t feel that with him. I like him, he’s great, and I definitely trust him, but I didn’t _feel_ it.”

“You did, you were just overwhelmed at the time and didn’t notice it. We’re not influencing you, Peter,” Mind said. “We are just becoming one with you as you grow more comfortable, more accepting of us. When you decided to embrace our power, to use it for good, it reached a new level.”

Peter sighed. “So, I can expect more brain farts? Awesome.”

Power grinned. “Let’s be honest, kid, you weren’t exactly immune to brain farts before either. You did talk some crap sometimes, especially when you were nervous.”

Peter chuckled. “Yeah, I guess. May used to say my brain was always too occupied with equations to engage when I opened my mouth.” His face fell. “I miss her.”

“Would you like to see her?” Soul asked.

“You mean go to the soul plane?” Peter asked, his stomach twisting with nerves. “I don’t know. That seems kinda big to me. I’m guessing it’s a pretty huge place, so how will I find her, and will she see me and what will I—”

Time held up a hand, and Peter cut off, breathing hard.

“Sorry,” he muttered.

“The soul plane might be overwhelming at this stage,” Time said. “But I could take you somewhere that you might be more comfortable. A place in your own life.”

Peter frowned. “You mean I can just… I don’t know… jump in time? Hey!” An idea occurred. “If I can do that, I could save her.” His breaths came quick. “I can stop the car or stop her from going out or… Uncle Ben! I can save him!”

They all looked sad, which he didn’t understand because this was the most amazing thing. He could get them back. He wouldn’t be able to see them, not until he had a real handle on the powers and could be sure he wouldn’t hurt anyone, but he could call them.

The idea of hearing their voices, talking to them again, made his stomach feel like it was full of butterflies.

“You could save them,” Time said carefully. “But not for yourself. And not yet. They are not the right kinds of people.”

“Wait, what? What do you mean they’re not the right _kind_? If you’re going to start talking about people being worthy, I swear I’ll lose my mind. You don’t know them, like you don’t know Tony. They are _the_ _most_ worthy people.”

“You cannot save them without a connection to one of us,” Time said. “If they had been vanished with you, you could bring them back, but they had natural deaths. If they have been otherwise linked, that would be an option. Only unnatural deaths can be changed, and your aunt and uncle do not have those requisites. Even with us at your hands, there are some things that are just not possible.”

Peter’s heart sank, and he felt his eyes burning. “But I want to save them.”

“So, do we,” Space said, the words sounding strangely sympathetic from the man whose true representation had created the Battle of New York. Peter had to remind himself that it was just a face, a voice. Loki was not Space. He was just a face they’d chosen for some reason for Peter to see. “But we are limited.”

“Start slow, buddy,” Power said. “Just see your aunt, have that, and then maybe we can go from there. You’ve got to build the stamina with us to do the big stuff.”

“Stamina?” Peter asked.

“Everything comes at a cost,” Reality said. “You learned that when you harnessed us to defeat the enemy.”

Peter hesitated. He didn’t want to injure himself again, feel that kind of pain, but the lure to see May was powerful. “So, I’m going to be all messed up again?”

“No, but it will tire your body and mind,” Mind said. “You are enhanced, yes, but you are only human. Even if there was another person in the world worthy of us, they would not be able to harness us the way you can as it is too much for any human body to survive.”

Power snapped his fingers and pointed at Peter. “You lucked out with that spider bite, kid. It’s given you a whole different kind of strength to handle us.”

“He would never have had us without his abilities,” Reality said, her tone scolding. “He would never have been within reach of the gauntlet without them.”

Power nodded. “True. I guess we all lucked out.”

Peter ran a hand through his hair, messing it up, and then said. “Okay, I _do_ want to see May, and it’s not going to hurt me really, so how do I do it?”

Time leaned forwards in his seat and said, “You cannot do it from here. Take your awareness back to your body, and I will guide you.”

“How do I do that?” Peter asked, and then blinked up at the white ceiling of his bedroom. “Oh, like that, I guess.”

The voice of Doctor Strange—no, Time—spoke in his mind. _‘Are you ready?’_

“Yeah. Definitely.”

_‘Close your eyes and fix the face of the person you want to see in your mind. I will guide you the rest of the way this time. One day, you will be able to choose a place at will.’_

Peter’s eyes fell closed, and he fixed May’s face in his mind. It was easy to find her as she was so close to the forefront of his thoughts now, eager to see her again. He felt the ridge of the blankets beneath him, and he wriggled into a more comfortable position. He took a deep breath, and then he tipped back.

It was like swinging from a web, skimming through the air, and then his feet hit the floor, and he blinked around in his old bedroom. His stuff was all there. The computer he’d built himself—and was constantly trying to upgrade with scraps from the dumpster from behind the Radio Shack—was on the desk. His twin bed was unmade, and a pile of laundered clothes was folded and stacked on the rumpled blankets. He was able to nail down a time as before the real stuff with Tony started, as he’d given Peter a Stark laptop soon after the Coney Island thing.

He felt something slip down his nose, and he automatically pushed up his glasses. With the action, he realized this wasn’t just before Tony; this was before Spider-Man. And he was actually there.

He’d figured he’d be an observer, the way he had been when watching the Avengers talking about him, but this was real. He could feel the floorboards under his feet, the ridges through his thin socks, he could smell something burning, and the air was cool against his skin through the open window. He was actually _there!_

“Peter, are you coming, or am I eating by myself?” May’s voice called.

Peter’s heart clenched, and he rushed out of his bedroom and into the kitchen, where May was setting down two plates on the table.

“May,” he whispered.

She turned around and smiled at him. “Hey. What were you doing in there? I was calling forever.” She put her hands on her hips. “Before you answer that, you should know that the correct answer is that you were putting your clothes away because I already asked three times, and if it’s not done, I’m going to stop doing your laundry for you.”

Peter didn’t say anything; he couldn’t because his throat had swollen shut, and his eyes were burning. He crossed the room in four strides and threw his arms around May, pulling her against him and tucking his face into her neck.

“Okay…” she said slowly. “What’s this about?”

“I missed you so much,” Peter said, voice strangled.

One hand pressed against his back, and the other stroked the back of his neck, fingernails gently scratching his skin in the way that had always soothed him.

She held him a long time and then pulled back, hands falling onto his shoulders, and she said, “Did you have a nightmare?”

Peter nodded, wiping at his face which was wet with tears. “Yeah, I really did. I thought I lost you. You were…”

“I’m here, honey,” she said. “You didn’t lose me. I’m always going to be here.” She kissed his cheek. “Now come eat. I think they turned out okay today.”

Peter forced himself to move away from her, even though she seemed to have a magnetic pull to him, and sat down at the table where there was a plate of charred bacon and pancakes that looked a little sloppy, batter leaking from the only lightly-browned edges.

“Looks great,” he lied.

She beamed and took her own place, then nudged over the maple syrup bottle and saying, “Load up.”

Peter took the bottle of syrup and poured it over the pancakes, knowing that May’s food was always improved with the help of syrups or ketchup. He took a bite of the slightly soggy pancake, chewed quickly, swallowed while hiding a grimace, and then said, “It’s good.”

May beamed and cut off a piece of her own pancake and ate it. Peter watched as her smile faded, became a frown, and then she grabbed a napkin from the holder in the middle of the table and spat out her mouthful.

“Gah! That’s disgusting. I can’t believe you ate that! Do you think you can get salmonella from pancake batter? Do you feel sick?”

Peter gratefully pushed away his plate and said, “I feel fine, but I think I’m full.”

She laughed. “You’re a sweet kid, but you don’t need to make yourself ill to spare my feelings by eating my creations.”

“I don’t mind,” Peter said. “I like that you made them for me.”

“Grateful for bad cooking?” She gave him a smile, though her eyes were puzzled. “That must have been quite some nightmare.”

Peter gave a little shudder. “It really was.”

She got to her feet and fetched a protein bar from the cupboard. “Eat this. You need something in your stomach if you’re going to last until lunch. I’m guessing Mrs. Leeds is going to be cooking when you’re over there.”

Processing the fact he was apparently supposed to be going to Ned, which was tempting but not so much as seeing Mary, he said. “Actually, I thought I’d stay home today.”

May frowned. “I know you had a bad dream, but you don’t need to blow Ned off to be with us.”

“Us?”

In answer, there was the sound of the front door opening, and Peter lurched to his feet and ran into the hall. He’d not connected it before, who else would be here if this was before Spider-Man, as he’d been consumed with May, but now he knew who he was going to see, and his heart was racing.

Ben was shrugging off his coat, one arm at a time, as in his hand was a Dunkin’ Donuts bag. He looked up at Peter’s approach, though, and said, “Hey, Pete, I saw May was aiming for pancakes, so I thought I’d get us a backup plan in. How were they—”

Before he could finish, Peter was on him, almost knocking him into the wall with the force of his hug. Ben’s hand came up to hold him, the donuts bag pressing into the small of Peter’s back.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, trying to ease Peter away so he could see him, but Peter was clinging to him too tightly. “Pete, talk to me.”

Peter heard footsteps, and then a hand dropped onto his shoulder, and May said, “He had a nightmare.”

“Ahhh,” Ben said with dawning realization. “I see.”

Peter used to have a lot of nightmares as a kid, especially in the beginning of living with May and Ben. He would see them with their bags, walking out of the door the way his parents had, and they’d be saying, “We’ll see you in a week. Be good,” but Peter would _know_ they would never be back. He’d lose them, and then he’d be totally alone. They used to scare him so much he’d sneak into May and Ben’s room and watch them sleep. If they woke and saw him there, they would lift the blankets and Peter would crawl in with them, feeling them envelop him in their warmth.

Peter released Ben and stepped back, head ducked as he wiped at his tears.

“You want to talk about it?” Ben asked.

Peter shook his head and sniffed. “No, I just want to stay home.”

May’s hand found the back of his neck again, and she said, “You can. We’ll have a movie day. Go wash your face and call Ned, let him know you’re not coming over.”

Peter nodded, gave them each one last longing look, and then ducked back along the hall and into the bathroom. He caught sight of his face in the mirror as he splashed it with water, and he saw that it was blotchy and his eyes red. But they were bright with overwhelming happiness.

He was with them _both_. Ben and May were there. He could stay with them all day if he liked.

Or could he?

He kept his voice to a whisper and said, “Hey, Time, don’t spoil this, okay? Let me stay.”

_‘You know that you can’t stay forever…’_

“I know, but just today. I just want today, okay?”

_‘Okay. Have your time. I will be here when you’re ready to go home.’_

Peter rubbed the rough towel over his face, drying it, and then put it back on the hook and rushed back into the den where Ben was putting the donuts onto a plate, and May was carrying in coffee and soda on a tray. Peter looked at them both, absorbing their presence, and then dropped himself down in the middle of the couch, waiting for them to join him so that he could have this perfect day. 

Time said he would go home when he’d had his fill, but it wasn’t home. Not Wakanda, not even the apartment Tony had kept for him, because the people that made it home were gone.

He was home now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… May and Ben! This was one of the points that came to me early on when I had the idea for the story. I wanted Peter to use the Stones for himself as well as the sake of others. It was a joy to write, so I’m curious about how it was to read.   
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “He is using the Stones,” Steve said, as soon as Peter had disappeared inside. “Embracing them?”  
> Tony held in a groan. He’d not wanted anyone to know this, but it was too late to hide it now. “He is,” he agreed. “T’Challa put the idea in his head. He wants to be able to protect… I guess the world. It’s a bit too much to figure out yet.”  
> Steve nodded. “I guess that makes sense. It makes one decision easier anyway.”  
> “Yeah, which one’s that?”  
> “The Avengers,” Steve said. “We’re not taking off for America when the kid is doing that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all!   
> Yes, it’s Monday. Yes, I should not be posting until Wednesday, and Randomskycolor might be mad as it puts pressure on her to get another pre-read before then, but I am celebrating, and so I want to share the good feeling. With the last update, I passed 600 kudos. I cannot tell you how amazing that is to me. I know there are stories with thousands of kudos out there, and they’re all well-deserved, but my confidence when I posted this story was so low I wasn’t even sure I should post on AO3 as my quality was nowhere near good enough. The fact, so many of you disagree, or think I’m worth reading anyway, is amazing to me. Really. I hoped I’d maybe reach 100 kudos for the whole story, but we’re not quite halfway through and I’m at 600!  
> I am working on Chapter 29 now, and I am expecting there to be around 3 more chapters to this installment before I move onto the sequel. I don’t know how many stories will be in the series. I have a clear idea for what comes in the next story—and I’m really excited about it—and I have a plan for how the series will end, but how many stories there will be there before I get to that point is still in the air. As a rough guide, the last world that I enjoyed this much and had so much inspiration for was a Supernatural series that lasted for 5 stories and amounted to over 500k words. I sincerely hope you’ve got the patience to stick with me if it gets that long, but I will try to tie up the next story in a way that you can stop there and still feel like you’ve read a fulfilling series.   
> In other news, it will be a while before we start posting as we’re still early in the process, but Snarkymuch and I are working on another collab project—we already have one posting called The Difference A Day Makes—that we’re both really excited about. It’s completely different from anything either of us have written before, and I’ve not seen any stories out there like it. We’re hoping to be able to deliver something exciting and new for you all.   
> Okay, I’m done rambling. Much love and thanks to you all xxx

Tony cracked open Peter’s bedroom door and saw the tuft of brown hair peeking up from under the blankets, which was all that showed of the sleeping kid. He crept into the room and tugged the blankets down to check on him, and he saw Peter was out for the count, his breaths deep and even and eyes still beneath their lids. Tony pulled the blankets higher again, patted his back, and slipped out and into the kitchen.

He knew Rhodey was already gone since he’d heard him moving around early, while he’d still been poised between sleeping and waking, and felt a guilty warmth at the idea he’d have some time alone with Peter.

As important as he knew it was for Peter to have more people on his side than just him, the truth was he didn’t want to share him for a while. Peter had been gone five years, and everything since he’d come back had been crazy with the battle, the Stones, Peter’s injury. He just wanted to hang out with him for a while alone, catch up, maybe work on showing Peter how he felt the way Rhodey said he needed to.

He filled the coffee maker with grounds and water then fumbled with the buttons for a moment until it began to burble and steam. He was a genius, he had built his own coffee maker back home that selected between the different grounds and strength depending on how tired he was, but whoever made this thing was pretty damn smart, too—though they apparently disliked making it easy to use.

While the coffee brewed, he leaned his hip against the counter and looked out of the window. The river was close enough to the house that he could hear the water rushing past, even through the window. He wondered if there was fish in it worth catching.

Morgan loved fishing, not at all squeamish about touching the worms they used as bait, unlike Tony. She’d learned from Rhodey when he came to the house on his rare free weekends to hang with them. Tony had just watched them at first, enjoying seeing them both so happy, but soon Morgan’s excitement at sharing her knowledge with him had won out, and he’d faced the unpleasant task of baiting a hook with a wriggling invertebrate. It had become something they all shared, Pepper occasionally coming out to sit on the bait box and watch them. 

Maybe Peter would like to fish. He was sure someone here would have the gear they’d need, and it would be a good way for Peter to unwind instead of spending his time talking to the Stones and learning their powers.

If Tony could give the kid a break from that, he would. He knew just how obsessive Peter could be, and he guessed that, coupled with Peter’s desire to use them for good, would make a combination of insane work ethic. He did need to learn, though Tony hated to admit it, but he also needed time to be a sixteen-year-old kid again.

The coffee spat its last, and Tony poured a large mug and carried it outside. There were a few large rocks beside the river, and he perched on one, watching the water rushing past. He was happy with his thoughts, but he wasn’t left alone long. He heard footsteps approaching, and he turned to see Steve and Barnes coming towards him.

He stiffened at the sight of Barnes, preparing a retort to drive him off if he thought about joining him for a chat, but a dozen feet away, Barnes patted Steve’s shoulder and carried on walking past while Steve came to Tony and sat down on a rock a foot away.

“Morning,” Tony grunted, still not over the dour mood that had filled him at the sight of The Winter Soldier.

Steve gave him an assessing look but didn’t comment on either Tony’s tone or Barnes’ presence, and said, “I wanted to talk to you, but I didn’t think last night was the right time, not with Queens there.”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “Queens?”

Steve shrugged. “It’s who he is. Not only the fact that was his home, but all Bucky’s said about what they found on him while they were observing Spider-Man the before the Snap tells me he’s got a whole lot of heart for the place. It was Queens he chose to protect the most.”

Tony nodded and sipped his coffee. “Yeah, he went further afield sometimes, left a mess on Coney Island when he was saving my ass from dealing with a plane full of alien tech being stolen, and he once climbed the Washington Monument, but yeah, he has heart for Queens.” A smile crept across his face as he remembered the videos Friday had picked up from Karen of the kid flying around the streets of his hometown, stopping muggers and rescuing cats from trees. “Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.” He ran a hand through his hair. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Fury,” Steve said. “He’s back, obviously, and he’s making himself known. Tracked me down to my hotel room in DC in the middle of the night.”

“What did he want?”

“The details on what happened. I told him the story we’re giving everyone else, and he bought it, but he was pushing for a face-to-face with you.”

Tony snorted. “He can push all he likes. I’ve already got Friday refusing all calls out of the US from anyone remotely official. I didn’t want Ross breathing down my neck, and now I’m adding Fury to that list.”

Steve nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense, but you know how hard-assed he is. He’s the one pushing for us to be the face of the return. The Blip, that’s what they’re calling what happened—”

Tony snorted. “The Blip? Are they kidding? Like that’s some kind of…” He pinched the bridge of his nose. Five years of grief for billions of people, losses people never truly recovered from, and they thought that small word encompassed it. 

“You know what people are like, Tony. They want it to seem smaller than it was. But the ‘Blip’ did a lot of damage that wasn’t healed with everyone coming back. All the New World Evangelists that sprung up after the vanished are still going strong, calling it the Second Coming of Life, and people are flocking to them for answers. You’ve got to remember, for half the world, they were gone minutes while for everyone else it was years.”

Tony stared out at the river and sipped his coffee. “So, they want us to be the face of it. I guess that makes sense. But I’m not doing it.”

“To the world, you were the one that saved it,” Steve reminded him. “It’s you they want to see.”

“That’s not my problem. What I need to do is take care of the kid that actually did the saving.”

“Fury wants us back on US soil,” he said.

“Fury can go to hell.”

Steve rubbed his chin. “They really want us there, Tony. Not you and Queens, you’re better here while Peter is… recovering, but me, Bruce, Sam, Wanda, and Bucky, are needed. Fury says he’s got places we can set up again, old Shield bases that’ll work, since the compound blew to hell.”

“Why would they want The Winter Soldier?” Tony asked sharply.

“He’s not the damn—” Steve cut himself off, breathing hard, and then said in a more controlled voice, “You know he’s not that anymore. Shuri wiped the programming, and T’Challa has done good work on getting him exonerated for his crimes. And he’s part of the story. He fought with us in both battles. He’s known. The footage from Wakanda was released after the snap, so they know he’s a hero.”

Tony wanted to laugh, but it would be cruel and would rile Steve up again, so he took another sip of coffee and waited for him to go on.

“Fury is going to Clint, too.”

Tony shook his head. “Fury’s got no chance of getting him in again after what happened to his family. Dammit, why can’t he just leave us alone? Clint should be with his family, and so should I. What _I_ am going to do is take care of Peter until he’s in a good enough place to come home to Pepper and Morgan with me. If you want to be a poster boy for the rescue again, go ahead, but me and Peter are having nothing to do with it.” He stared at Steve’s face, which looked strangely relieved. “But you already knew I’d say that, so why did you come to me with this?”

Steve gave a small shrug. “Honestly, I feel the same. I _know_ we should be a part of it, I do, it’s what the Avengers are for, but I also feel like we should be here with Queens.”

“I can take care of him,” Tony said testily.

“I know, but we want to be here, too. When we stood against Thor, I feel like something shifted for all of us. It’s not just you and Peter now, nor Rhodey, too. It’s about all of us. We all want to help the kid. And I really think he’s going to need it. These Stones are going to have a huge impact on him.”

“They are,” Tony said. “But me and Rhodey can handle it.”

He was being selfish, he knew, and Rhodey would kick his ass for saying it, but he _wanted_ to be the one taking care of Peter. Rhodey was fine, he could handle that, but the idea of sharing him with them all seemed wrong. He’d only just got him back.

Before Steve could say anything, there was the sound of a door banging open and they both twisted around to see Peter running out to them.

Tony was on his feet in a moment, mug dropping from his hand to roll away, coffee making a small puddle. Peter skidded to a halt a foot in front of him, eyes bright but shadowed, and cheeks flushed with color. His chest was heaving with quick breaths, and his words came out in a garbled rush. “I saw them, Tony! I actually saw them! I was there, and I could talk to them and hug them, and we watched Star Wars and ate pizza, and—”

“You ate pizza with the Stones?” Tony asked. “You _hugged_ them?”

Peter waved a hand through the hair, head whipping from side to side. “No! May and Ben. I thought it would just be May, because she was who I was thinking of, but we were eating this really bad breakfast, and he got home. I saw Ben, too!”

Tony was trying to make sense of what he was saying, the rapid-fire speed of it, but Steve spoke up, voice confused. “You mean you dreamed of them?”

“No!” Peter panted, “Time took me there. I was in my old apartment with them for a whole day. I went to bed there and woke up here.”

Tony shot Steve a quick glance, wanting to see what he was making of Peter using the Stones when he’d not been there for the conversation in which Peter declared that he was going to work to harness them.

Steve was nodding slowly, eyes slightly distant. “I see. Well, I guess that sounds good.”

“It was amazing!” Peter said eagerly. “Like, really, the best thing that ever happened. This is what I can do if I embrace them!” He gave a small shiver and shifted from foot to foot. Only now did Tony realize he was wearing the same clothes as the day before and his feet were bare.

“Damn, Pete, you didn’t even put shoes on,” he scolded. “Get inside before you hurt yourself.”

Peter looked down at his feet, seeming just as surprised as Tony to see that they were bare, and he turned and hurried back into the house, stepping a little more carefully now.

“He is using the Stones,” Steve said, as soon as Peter had disappeared inside. “Embracing them?”

Tony held in a groan. He’d not wanted anyone to know this, but it was too late to hide it now. “He is,” he agreed. “T’Challa put the idea in his head. He wants to be able to protect… I guess the world. It’s a bit too much to figure out yet.”

Steve nodded. “I guess that makes sense. It makes one decision easier anyway.”

“Yeah, which one’s that?”

“The Avengers,” Steve said. “We’re not taking off for America when the kid is doing that.” He gave Tony an assessing glance. “He _is_ going to need us all for this. This kind of responsibility is…” He whistled. “I’ll fill the others in.”

Tony held up a hand. “Hold on, not everyone needs to know what he’s doing. Hell, the kid probably didn’t even realize what he was saying to you, he was so hyped.”

Steve looked almost sympathetic as he said, “Maybe not, but look at what secrets have done to us before, Tony. Peter _is_ an Avenger now, which means it’s about all of us. He wants to protect the world, that’s what we do, so we’re going to be at his side while he does it.”

Without another word, he walked away into the house T’Challa had set up for them all, and the door clicked closed behind him.

Tony stared at the closed door for a moment and then went back to his own house. He had been pleased that he and Peter were going to have time together without Rhodey, but now it seemed he was going to have to share that time with four other people, five if Barnes became a part of it.

The idea made him shiver. He wasn’t having that. He could deal with the Avengers being with them, becoming part of this whole situation, but Barnes wasn’t getting anywhere near his kid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… A little more from Tony and Steve. There’s a big conversation coming next, and then I’ll be ramping up the action again with a new threat. I wouldn’t want you to get too comfy after all ;-)  
> Until next time  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So absorbed in the moment, his amusement at Tony’s perplexed look, that Peter didn’t feel the danger until the last moment. He felt a prickle on the back of his neck, and he spun around to a man wearing black clothes and a face covering stepping around the corner from his bedroom and aiming what looked like a silver gun at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading. You’re all so amazing to be giving my story a chance and those of you that getting in touch and leaving kudos are so kind. You enthuse, motivate, and encourage me each day.

Peter blinked awake in his bedroom, seeing that the sunlight that had been streaming through his window before was now replaced with twilight. He rolled onto his back and rubbed his face.

Once he’d gotten inside and put shoes on, he’d gotten to the door to find Tony already heading back in himself, Steve nowhere in sight. Tony had lifted Peter’s chin, run a finger over the shadows under his eyes, then announced Peter was going to eat and then get more sleep. Peter had been tired, so he hadn't argued; instead, accepting the serving pack of Pop-Tarts Tony was offering him and taken them into his bedroom where he’d sat cross-legged to eat and then crashed again.

He knew his routine was all out of sync because he’d spent the night with May and Ben instead of sleeping, but that didn’t bother him. If he couldn’t sleep tonight, he would go see them again.

He got off the bed and went to the bags of clothes Steve had bought for him and picked some out to wear. He was surprised that the sizes were right, as he guessed Captain America didn't shop for clothes for teenagers often. He was grateful, though, and made a mental note to thank him again.

He took the clothes into the bathroom, then cleaned up quickly and brushed his teeth. As he was spitting out the toothpaste, he heard Tony calling from the bedroom. He went through wiping the smears of blue foam from his mouth and said, “Yeah?”

“You need to eat,” Tony said, pointing a finger at him. “Then we’ve got an appointment.” He didn’t sound happy about whatever the appointment was, and Peter frowned.

“An appointment with who?”

Tony ran a hand through his hair. “The Avengers.” Without another word, he strode out of the room, and Peter heard the clatter of plates.

He pulled his sneakers on—also the right size, but they’d come from one of T’Challa’s people, so he guessed they’d been able to check his size while he was out—and went into the kitchen where Tony was setting two plates of noodles and meat sauce on the island in front of the stools.

“You cooked?” Peter said, and then remembered something he’d heard when he was between places. He grinned. “Oh, yeah. You’re domesticated now.”

“You heard that part, huh?” Tony smiled. “I wondered how much you were getting of what I was saying.”

“Only bits and pieces. I kept going in and out. I heard you say you had an alpaca called Gerald.”

Tony pointed at the seat and waited for Peter to take it before sliding in beside him and picking up his fork. “Yeah, Gerald, he’s cool. It was a whim at first, I’d heard they were good for the environment, but then he kinda grew on me. Pepper’s not a fan, probably because he eats everything in sight. I had to reinforce his paddock to stop him chewing his way out. Morgan loves him, though.”

“Morgan,” Peter said with a small smile. “I didn’t hear anything about her when I was out, just that you had a daughter. What’s she like?”

Tony leaned across the counter and picked up his phone. He pressed a couple buttons and pulled up a picture of a little girl with Tony’s eyes and Pepper’s cheekbones. “That’s my girl,” he said, his pride obvious.

“She’s cute,” Peter said, taking in the sight and trying to picture Tony as a father. It wasn’t much of a stretch as Peter had always thought he’d make a great dad. It was imagining him playing tea parties that he struggled with.

“Of course, she is,” Tony said. “Think of who her mom is. She’s my world. Well, her, Pepper and…” He shook his head, and Peter wondered what the aborted addition was as Tony looked a little uncomfortable, the corners of his eyes tightened. “And she’s smart.”

“Of course, she is,” Peter said with a smile. “Think of who her dad is.”

Tony chuckled and ruffled his hair. “Compliments will get you everywhere, kid. Eat.”

Peter began to fork up his food, surprised by how tasty it was and that Tony had managed to sneak peppers and carrots into the sauce when Peter knew he was more of a cheeseburger than fruit and vegetable man.

“She was born six-months after the vanishing,” Tony said. “That’s what they called what happened to you. Though they’ve now decided the whole thing can be called the ‘Blip.’” He scowled. “Pepper and I married three months after it all happened, after I lost— everyone. And Morgan was born three months later.”

“Must have been nice,” Peter said. “To have something good like that.”

Tony nodded. “It made a huge difference,” he said, giving him a strange look. “But not as much as what I’ve got now with you back.”

Peter felt uncomfortable with the intensity of the look he was giving him, as if he was trying to impart some deeper message, and he turned his attention back to his food and ate quickly.

Tony cleared his throat and then said, “Good to see you’ve still got the appetite of a baby elephant.”

Peter snorted. “It’s my metabolism. After the bite, it’s like my appetite got dialed up, too. I got so used to being hungry before May found out about Spider-Man and understood why I needed to eat so much. It was better after.”

Tony nodded, took a bite, chewed and swallowed, then said, “So, it was something special seeing them again.”

“It was,” Peter said, voice breathy. “I can’t even describe it. When I was talking to the Stones, and they said I could move in time, I thought I could save them. I was so happy, but they said it doesn’t work that way, that I couldn’t do it for myself, not like that anyway, but I get to see them, and that’s everything. I don’t get why I can’t save like that, though. I was distracted, so I didn’t ask. I will next time.”

“You can’t change your own past,” Tony said. “When we brought you all back, we had to dive through time to do it, to gather the Stones, and the rules were absolute. If we’d changed things, it would have created new timelines, new worlds, not affected ours. Believe me, we wanted to do it after Natasha, and Wanda would do it in a heartbeat to save Vision if she could, but we’d not be saving them for us.”

Peter sighed. “I guess that makes sense from a scientific standpoint, but it doesn’t make it easier.”

Tony placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. “It really doesn’t.” There was silence for a moment, and then he said, “So, about this whole team meeting thing.”

Peter swallowed his mouthful and said, “Yeah, what’s that for? Is it because I’m am Avenger, too, now—or were you just saying that on that planet to make me…” He shrugged. “Was it just for me?”

“No, though I kinda wish it was, since I think you’d be safer away from all that. You’ve pretty much proved you’re stronger than any of us, though, so I don’t think it’s something we can choose anymore.”

Peter felt his cheeks flush. “I’m not stronger. I mean, there’s you, and Cap, and Doctor Banner.”

Tony smiled at him. “You know, for someone so smart, you can be so slow. Pete, this is about more than the Stones; it’s how brave you are and how much heart you’ve got. It’s the fact you’re worthy. If I’d done what you did, snapped, I would have been killed. Strange saw it, that’s why he gave up the Time Stone to Thanos, I think, because I was the only way to end it once and for all. But you lived when none of us could have. The youngest and smallest person on the battlefield saved us all. That makes you the best of all of us.”

Peter ducked his head, cheeks burning, and muttered, “I don’t think it really works like that.”

Tony’s warm hand fell on the back on his neck, thumb rubbing into the knots of his spine, and he said, “Trust me, it does. But this meeting _is_ about the Stones. After your announcement in front of the Cap, they know you’re going all the way with the Stones, which means it’s about all of us.” He sounded bitter as he said it. “So, Steve wants us all to talk. I can’t make you do it—honestly, I don’t want you to—but I think we might not have a choice.”

Peter forced himself to look up, and he said, “I don’t think so either. This is about everyone. It probably always was. I guess I saw it when they stood against Thor for me; even though I was freaking out about what _I_ learned, it also made me see what I had.” He ate the last forkful of pasta and said, “We’ll talk to them.”

Tony pushed away his plate, only half-eaten, and said, “Great. Let’s get it done.”

Peter slipped off his stool and dumped the plates in the sink, then waited for Tony as he ran a hand through his hair, looked around the room as if looking for a reason to delay, then he seemed to brace himself and came to the door, opened it, and gestured Peter out.

They walked along a stone path to a house a little away from theirs, and Tony knocked on the door then opened it. Peter followed him in, a little nervous now, and then felt a thrill in his chest as he took them all in. The Avengers were spread out on a grouping of couches, seeming perfectly relaxed. Doctor Banner was eating a huge bowl of popcorn, a handful at a time. The Scarlet witch was reading a book. Steve and Sergeant Barnes were playing cards, and The Falcon was flipping through channels on the TV. It was a strange scene, the people Peter had seen as heroes, even after he’d fought some of them, looking so relaxed and at home. Sharing a battlefield was one thing but preparing to talk to them as equals was something entirely different.

No matter what Tony said, he did not feel close to equal with these people, let alone stronger than them.

They all looked up as they came in, Doctor Banner smiling and raising a hand; The Scarlett Witch placing a bookmark on her page and putting the book down on the table; Steve snatching the cards out of Sergeant Barnes’ hand and saying, “You win,” and The Falcon switching off the TV.

They all sat up a little straighter, and Steve said, “Thanks for coming, Queens.”

Peter smiled slightly. “Sure.”

Steve gestured him into a seat across from him, and Peter took it, but Tony remained standing, arms crossed over his chest. His eyes fixed on Steve, but his words directed to Sergeant Barnes. “You don’t need to be here for this, Barnes.”

“He does,” Steve said sharply. “Don’t fight us on this, Tony.” Tony continued to glower, and Steve addressed Peter. “Queens, you got any problem with Bucky being here for this?”

Peter darted a glance to Tony, who looked pissed and said, “Uh… no. I think this is about all of us.”

Steve gave a satisfied smile and said, “It is. You going to sit, Tony?”

Tony strode across the room and sat on the arm of Peter’s chair, his hand falling on Peter’s shoulder in a way that felt more like a claim than comfort.

“Introductions,” Steve said, “Since we’ve not all officially met properly.” He gestured to each person in turn. “Bruce, Wanda, Sam, Bucky.”

Peter gave them all a small wave and said, “Hi.”

Wanda, who had seemed distracted and sad before, gave him a small smile and said, “Hello, Peter.”

“Now, I’ve told everyone what Tony said about you using the Stones,” Steve said, “but I think it’d be good to hear from you what you are planning to do.”

Peter bit his lip as he struggled to find the right words. “I don’t know how much you already know, so I might be repeating some of it, but I can see the Stones. At first, I could just hear Mind’s voice in my head, he’d talk to me, and then I kinda went into my head, and I was in a room with them all. They look like real people, some I know: Space is Loki; Time is Doctor Strange; Peter Quill, who was on Titan with us, is Power; and Mind is your friend Vision.”

Wanda gave a small gasp and placed her hand on her chest. “You see Vis?”

Peter felt immediately guilty because that obviously meant something special to her, and he had to form his answer carefully. “It looks and sounds like him, but it’s really Mind.”

“People the Stones were connected to,” Doctor Banner said thoughtfully. “Loki and the tesseract, Strange and the Time Stone, and Vision…” He trailed off and gave Wanda, who was wiping at her face, which was wet, a sympathetic look. “Who are the others?”

“Uh… I don’t know who Reality is. It’s a woman with dark hair that’s really pretty.”

“Probably Thor’s Jane,” Bruce said. “She was once infected by Aether. Thor told me about it on Sakaar.”

“And Soul is a little green girl,” Peter said.

They all looked puzzled for a moment, and then Tony said, “That’s got to be Gamora. She was one of Quill’s team—the Guardians.” His lips quirked into a smile that quickly faded. “Thanos sacrificed her to get the Soul Stone.” He rubbed his forehead. “Yeah, it’s all the people they’re connected to, though why she’s a kid, I don’t know.”

“She really _is_ like a kid,” Peter said. “I only heard Mind first, and he was so formal and precise that I thought they’d all be like that, but they’re not. It’s like they’ve got the personalities, too. Power is _just_ like Peter Quill.”

Wanda gave a small smile that was a little sad and said, “That sounds like Vis.”

They all nodded, and Tony looked somber. “It does.”

“So, you see them and talk to them,” Steve said after a moment. “And what do they say?”

“All kinds of things,” Peter said, rubbing the back of his neck. “At first it was all about me being _worthy_ ,” he shook his head, “but then when we met, it was more. Mind said they want to do good, and they said I can’t…” He bit his lip. He wasn’t about to announce to them that he was now endless, doomed to eternal life or a series of births and deaths, as he didn’t know how they’d take that. “Mind says they want to do good. Some of them have been used for evil, but that wasn’t what they wanted.”

Evil,” Wanda said, voice tense.

“Not you and Pietro,” Doctor Banner said seriously, “and not Vision. Loki used it to control Clint. That’s what they’re talking about.”

Wanda nodded, but she didn’t seem reassured.

“And how do they want to do good?” Bucky asked, and Peter felt Tony’s hand contract to the point that it was painful.

“I don’t know exactly,” Peter said. “But I know how _I_ want to use them, and I think that’s the point. I heard King T’Challa say I’m not Peter Parker anymore,” he shuddered, “and that kinda freaks me out, but he made it seem like a good thing.”

Tony sighed. “He says it could be a ‘great thing.’”

“Yeah,” Peter said. “I want to protect people. I didn’t do that at first, when I got my powers. I messed up, and someone I loved was killed because of it, but I learned. I did do good with them, I helped people, and I want to do that again. I don’t think I can be Spider-Man anymore, not the same way, but—”

“You can be Spider-Man!” Tony said fiercely. “You’re not giving that up!”

Peter down at the carpet. “I think I have to, though. I have all this power now, and it’s not something I can get rid of, even if I wanted to. I have to be careful with my strength as Spider-Man, to not hurt the people I’m fighting, and if I lose control of the Stones… I already hurt people when I wasn’t aware of it.” He looked tentatively at Steve. “I didn’t mean to do it, it was automatic when I heard you and Tony arguing, but if you weren’t a superhero, I could have really hurt you.”

Steve stared at him for a moment and then said, “You could, but you didn’t. And it was a reaction to a perceived threat. I believe you’ll be able to do more when you have more control, but right now, you’re safe around us. We’re all tough enough to handle being thrown around a little.”

Reassured, Peter nodded and said, “Maybe I can, but I also think it’s bigger than Spider-Man now. I don’t know if he’s right, but King T’Challa said Thanos isn’t the biggest threat out there.”

A tense silence settled over the room, them all seeming to be processing his words, and then Sam said, “How do you feel about this?”

Peter frowned. “About there being bigger threats than Thanos? Uh… kinda freaked out. I mean, he did so much damage, and if there’s bigger than him, I don’t know how we’re going to fight it, how I will, but I think I have to find a way.”

Sam smiled, but when he spoke again, his voice had the strange weight of the school counselor Peter had been forced to see after Uncle Ben died, before he’d gotten good at faking feeling better for the teachers, long before he really did start to feel better. “But how do _you_ feel about that responsibility? It’s a lot of pressure.”

“I… uh…” He bit his lip. “I heard what you were all saying after you found out about me and the Stones; I was kinda watching with a little help from Space.” He rubbed his nose, uncomfortable as they all exchanged surprised looks at the news he’d spied on them. “I know you all, apart from Doctor Banner, chose your power and that you were adults when you joined the fight, and I’m only sixteen and don’t really feel like I have a choice, but it also feels right to do it. It feels like Spider-Man did. I was given this power because the Stones thought I was good enough for it.”

“Worthy,” Steve said with a small smile.

Peter shrugged. “Yeah. I guess. I didn’t ask for it or want it, but I can’t imagine not using it to help. If there is a threat coming, I want to stop it so that people don’t lose the people they love like I did.” Their eyes seemed to stare right into him, and he squirmed. “That’s what I think anyway,” he added quietly.

“So wise,” Wanda said, making heat creep up his cheeks.

“And brave,” Bucky added.

Tony squeezed his shoulder again, gently this time, and Peter looked up at him to see he was smiling, though there was a sadness in his eyes. “That’s who Peter is,” he said with evident pride, which added to the heat in Peter’s cheeks and made his hands clasp in his lap.

“Okay,” Steve said. “It should go without saying now, but we’re all in this with you. Whatever you need, whatever comes, you’ll be fighting with us, not for us.”

Peter smiled. “Thanks.”

“And we’re all here for you in everything else,” Sam said, giving him a pointed look. “If you need to talk to someone, we’re all here to listen. I know you’ve been through a lot, and I have experience helping people through difficulties, traumas, so you just have to find me if you need help.”

They all nodded, and Peter shifted uncomfortably. He felt awkward now, having announced his self-assumed mission to protect. They didn’t seem freaked out by all the power he had, and they had been before, but he still felt their scrutiny.

“I’m gonna… head home,” he said awkwardly. “I mean if that’s okay. I can stay if you have more questions.”

Steve shook his head. “No, I think we’re done for today. Get some rest. You still look a little tired.”

Peter thanked him and stood; he gave them all a small wave and smile and then headed outside into the fresh air. He stopped just outside and stared up at the sky, and what he thought had to be a million stars. He’d never seen them like this before. Even at the Compound, where there was less light than in the city, it didn’t look like this. Their houses here were away from the main parts of the city, and the light pollution was minimal and gave the stars a chance to showcase themselves.

He heard movement behind him, and then Tony said, “You okay?”

“Yeah, just looking at the stars,” Peter said. “They’re incredible. It’s just like when I went to the planetarium with school, but it’s real.”

“They’re great,” Tony said. “Now, let’s get you home. Steve’s right, you do look tired.” He hesitated for a moment. “Can you do something for me tonight?”

“Sure,” Peter said automatically.

“Get some sleep. I know you want to see May and Ben again, but it wiped you out all day. Maybe give it a night off and just rest.” 

Peter was disappointed, he’d been looking forward to seeing them again, but there was an intensity to Tony’s eyes as he asked, which made him think he needed to obey for his sake. “Sure. No problem.”

“Good,” Tony said with palpable relief. “There’s something else I’d like you to do for me.”

Peter looked up at him. “Okay.”

“I want you to meet Morgan—and Pepper properly, not when she’s scooping you out of the sky.”

Peter’s chest tightened with panic. “No! I mean, I want to, yeah, but it’s not safe, not yet. If I lose control and hurt them, hurt Morgan…”

“No,” Tony said quickly. “I’m not asking you to do it in person yet, even though I _know_ you’d never hurt them, but just talk to them. Morgan’s been asking about you when I’ve called home, and she’s eager to meet her brother.”

“Her brother?” Peter asked, sure he’d misheard. 

Tony nodded and placed a hand on his back, steering him towards the house. “Yeah, her brother. My other kid.

Once again, Peter felt heat in his cheeks and that warmth in his chest that he knew was Tony reaching for him, and this time he allowed himself to feel it and enjoy it. If Tony thought of him as his own kid, that was amazing, but it could just be a throwaway remark, a reward, so he tried not to embrace it too close to his heart.

They got into the house, and Tony gestured Peter to the couch, grabbed his phone from the counter, and came to sit with him. He placed it on the coffee table and said, "Friday, call Pepper."

“Calling,” Friday said, and a hologram appeared, rooted in the phone, and a photo of Pepper showed with a phone icon. Then the picture disappeared, and Pepper’s face filled it.

“Tony,” she said with evident happiness, and then her eyes moved, and her smile grew. "Peter! Finally. Tell me you're here to talk to Morgan, too, because I am done with the demands for you."

Peter laughed. “Yeah. Uh, Tony thought we should talk.”

“I completely agree,” Pepper said. “She’s been going nuts waiting. She’s due to wake up from her nap soon. I’ll go get her.”

She disappeared out of shot, and Tony placed his arm around Peter’s shoulders. “Brace yourself, kid,” he said. “That girl’s got enough energy to reach across seven-thousand miles to exhaust you.

Peter laughed. “She’s gotta get that from you.”

“I don’t know about that. I never feel like I’ve got _that_ much energy.”

So absorbed in the moment, his amusement at Tony’s perplexed look, that Peter didn’t feel the danger until the last moment. He felt a prickle on the back of his neck, and he spun around to a man wearing black clothes and a face-covering stepping around the corner from his bedroom and aiming what looked like a silver gun at him.

He leaped to his feet and shouted in shock as the same feeling of a punch coming from his chest shot out from him, but at the same moment, there was a humming sound, and Tony was slammed back, across the table, sending the phone flying. Peter’s eyes snapped between Tony and the man that had shot him, crumpled on the floor, and then he ran to Tony.

His eyes were closed, and Peter felt a thrill of shock, but his chest was moving steadily, and when Peter pressed shaking fingers to his throat, he felt a steady thrum of a pulse beneath. He could see no injury or blood anywhere; he appeared to just be sleeping, but that didn’t calm Peter.

“Mr. Stark!” he said desperately. “Tony! Wake up!”

There was a sound of movement behind him, and he spun, ready to face another threat, and saw the man that he had knocked away with the stones stirring. There was a pool of blood under his head, and as Peter watched, his limbs began to jerk with a seizure.

Peter’s hands flew to his face, and his breath caught. “What did I do?” he asked.

 _‘You defended yourself,’_ Mind replied. _‘You did the right thing.’_

“No. I could have killed him. I can’t…”

He heard a creak behind him, and Peter spun and saw the man that had been taking care of him in the hospital, Doctor W’Kebe, advancing on him. In his hand, he had a silver gun, the same kind as the man that had attacked Tony had, and a syringe clasped in his teeth. He was stalking towards Peter, a hard look in his eyes.

 _‘Don’t hold us back, kid,’_ Power shouted. _‘Let us help.”_

Peter couldn’t. He didn’t know how he was stopping them, but he could defend himself without hurting someone the way he had the other man, and he was seriously hurt.

He jumped to his feet and place himself in front of Tony protectively, but the man seemed unconcerned by Tony. He aimed the gun directly at Peter, and then there was that same humming sound, and Peter felt a sharp pain to his chest and then a wave of irresistible lethargy.

He fell back, drifting into unconsciousness, and barely feeling the prick in the crook of his elbow but hearing Pepper’s voice shouting for Tony.

He tried to answer, to ask her to get help, but then heaviness was spreading up his arm into his chest, and then there was nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… I told you there was action coming. Hurt/Comfort is going to be a big theme of this story, but I’m trying my best not to overdo it. There will be a cost to using the Stones, though, otherwise Peter really would be all-powerful.  
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx
> 
> Edit: Following a comment of dissatisfaction with events in this chapter, I need to make something clear. Peter is powerful, but he is still vulnerable. Some of the tags I created for this story apply to the series more than this instalment as it began as a single story. I will not remove them, unless you think I need to. Peter will gain control of all the Stones in time, he will be amazingly powerful, but he is still vulnerable now. If that's not something you like, be warned that it's going to happen again. The Hurt/Comfort tag in this story applies to him.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky’s eyes drifted to Tony, who was motionless but otherwise seemed fine, just sleeping. “He loves that kid.”  
> “He does,” Steve said. “You should have seen him when he got back after the Snap. He’d been in space for weeks, he looked half-dead, and one of the first things he said was that he’d lost the kid. The pain…” He pressed his fingers to the corner of his eyes as he remembered. “He risked everything he’d built with Pepper and Morgan to get him back. When we went to him, it was a hard no, but when he came back, I could see that pain in him again. He told me he’d seen a picture of him and Peter and he couldn’t resist the thought of getting him back. He loves him.”  
> Bucky nodded. “It reminds me of how I used to feel about you.”  
> Steve frowned. “Huh?”  
> Bucky chucked. “You were the little scrap of a thing with a huge heart that seemed to dive headfirst into trouble every day for the sake of it. Hell, I lost count of how many times I had to haul your ass out of the fire, and it became our thing. Protecting you was my mission. Enlisting and knowing it meant leaving you behind was one of the hardest things I ever did.” He ran a hand over his face. “And I see that in Stark now. He’s got that same drive.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much Randomskycolor for pre-reading, and thank you all for the support you’ve shown this story. It means so much to me that you’re enjoying it.  
> Good news! I was worried the climax to this story would end in death threats coming my way once you saw how I ended it, but I have just finished the final chapter—Chapter 32—and the ending is nowhere near the cliffhanger I previously planned. In fact, you will be able to read this story as a solo piece without being too torn up if you don’t read on—at least Snarks and I think so.  
> I am going to take a breath now and celebrate the triumph of finishing the last chapter, and then I will settle down and start outlining the next installment.  
> As this is an early update, I can’t guarantee I’ll update again tomorrow as dear Randomskycolor is working her ass off with real-life and pre-reading, so I don’t have another ready for you to read. I’ll do my best, though.

Steve leaned back in his seat and ran a hand over his face with a long exhale. He was trying to process what had just happened, what he’d seen and heard, with the idea that it was a kid saying it. “That was just…”

“Yes,” Wanda said quietly. “It was.”

“What do you think, Steve?” Bucky asked.

Without looking at him, he said, “I think that kid might be the most… I don’t even know the word. He really is sixteen, right?”

“Yes,” Bruce supplied. “And he’s small for his age.”

“He’s definitely impressive,” Sam said. “But I’ve got to say, I worry about that kind of responsibility on a kid.”

“That’s the thing,” Bruce said. “He’s really not a kid anymore. Sure, when he gets going, he sounds like one sometimes, but other times, when he’s talking about responsibility and power, I could be talking to any one of you. He just seems so old for being so young. I think whatever it was that really made him a kid was lost with the arrival of the Stones. He’s not even an adult. He’s something new.”

“He was different this morning,” Steve said. “When he was with me and Tony and talking about seeing his family, he was so hyped up. He sounded like the kid we met in Berlin.”

“It is the Stones,” Wanda said quietly. “Bruce was right: they’ve changed him.” She frowned. “It seems unfair.”

“It is,” Bucky agreed. “But he’s embraced it. He’s going to use them.”

“Does it make anyone else wonder what he’s capable of?” Sam asked. “Think what Vision could do with just the Mind Stone.”

Wanda gave a small flinch, and Bruce laid a large hand on her shoulder and gave it a brief squeeze.

“That’s a good point,” Bucky said. “He’s got all of them. I think Rhodes had a point when he said we were treating him like a rogue nuke before, but we weren’t entirely wrong about the power comparison. You know what, though?” He huffed a laugh. “I trust him with them. It makes no sense, hell, I hardly trust anyone, least of all myself, but that kid… I’d put my money on him doing good with this.”

“Me too,” Steve said. “But it worries me that we’re putting too much on him.”

“That’s because we are,” Sam said solemnly. “I think too much has been on him for a long time, and this is just the newest and biggest burden.”

Steve wondered if he was talking about Tony bringing him to Berlin to fight them. Before he could decide to ask, to open that difficult topic again, his phone began to ring. He leaned forward and plucked it from the table and checked the caller ID. “It’s Pepper,” he said, bewildered, and then connected the call. “Pepper, is everything—”

“You’ve got to get to Tony and Peter!” she cut in. “Something happened. I saw this man there with them. I think they’ve been hurt.”

In a moment, Steve was on his feet saying, "Talk to Sam," curtly, throwing his phone to his friend and then striding across the room, yanking open the door, and running outside.

A tall man was running in the opposite direction from the house, and Steve shouted. “Stop him. Buck!” before crossing the distance between the two houses and rushing through the open door. Tony and Peter were sprawled unconscious on the floor, Tony six feet away from Peter. Tony's color was good, and his breaths were coming even, but Peter was obviously in trouble. His chest didn’t seem to be moving, and there was a trickle of bloody foam on his lips and chin. Crumpled against the wall was a man all dressed all in black, face covered, with a silver gun beside him; there was a pool of blood under his head.

“Bruce,” Steve yelled. “Get in here.”

“I’m here,” Bruce said directly behind him.

Steve started straight for Peter, knowing he was the one that needed the most urgent help, dropped beside him and pulled back his eyelid. The strange rainbows of his eyes were just faint rims around a blown pupil, and the whites were bloodshot.

Steve heard Sam say, “We’re here, Pepper, and we’re helping them, but I’ve got to go.” Even through the tinny speaker, Steve heard Pepper’s protests, but then Sam was dropping the phone down onto the couch and saying, “You got the kid?”

“We’ve got him,” Bruce said, fingers pressed to Peter’s throat and eyes on his face. “Check on Tony.” He lifted Peter into his arms and said, “He needs real help, real doctors. We’ve got to get him to the clinic. How do you even call an ambulance here?”

“I’ll be faster running,” Steve said, taking Peter from Bruce’s arms and holding him against his chest. He could feel a faint tremor against his skin, and he realized Peter was shaking. “It’s okay, Queens. I’ve got you. We’re going to take care of you.”

He made for the door and then slammed to a halt as he hit a barrier and fell back, instinctively holding Peter closer.

“What’s wrong?” Sam asked.

“I can’t get past.”

“He won’t let us leave Tony behind,” Bruce said. “I’ll bring him.”

“How does he even know?” Wanda asked behind him.

“He probably doesn’t,” Bruce said, scooping Tony up and coming to Steve’s side. “It’s the Stones. We’ll have to keep them together.”

Steve moved forward a tentative step around found he could move. He rushed outside, calling, "Keep up," to Bruce, and then jogged out of the house and towards the central city.

Bruce stayed close enough behind Steve that they were able to keep moving, but Steve wanted to sprint. Peter’s tremors were growing, and when he looked down at the kid’s pale face, that there was now blood seeping from his nose in a steady trickle.

Bucky appeared ahead of him, the man Steve had sent him after unconscious and slung over his shoulder. “I don’t know what he did,” he said, “but he dropped this.” He held up a slim silver gun.

“This isn’t a gunshot,” Steve said. “Neither of them have wounds.”

“Then it’s tech,” Bruce said. “They’ll work it out when we get them to doctors.”

“This is a doctor,” Bucky said, lifting one shoulder to indicate the man he was carrying. “I recognize him.!

Peter’s breath left him in a long rasp, and then he began seizing, making Steve’s grip on him tighten as he thrashed like a landed fish.

“We’ve got to run, Bruce,” he said, breaking into a sprint. “Queens, I’ve got you, and Tony is close, but you can’t stop us, okay?” he said urgently. “You’re really hurt.”

No barrier appeared in front of him, though it was still hard to keep a grip on the kid as he thrashed, and with one particularly hard jerk, there was a cracking sound, and a moan escaped the kid. Steve felt his heart skip. He’d broken one of the kid’s bones holding him like that, but he had no choice. Peter needed help, and the only way to get it was to get him to experts. 

xXx

Steve was sitting beside Peter’s bed, his eyes drifting between the kid and Tony who was in the next bed, close enough that all there was between then was the monitor tracking the kid’s stats and just enough room for them to access him in an emergency.

This felt like an emergency.

They’d been rushed into a treatment room as soon as they’d arrived, Steve shouting for help, and Bruce had explained why Tony had to be close when they’d tried to separate them to be treated. Steve had also had to stay close because when he’d tried to leave them to work, they’d all been held away from both Peter and Tony.

Steve had no idea why Peter needed him close, why he trusted him when he’d admitted he’d seen their initial conversation about the kid’s connection to the Stones. Steve hadn’t exactly thrown his weight behind Peter with Tony and Rhodey then. Something had made the kid trust him, though, and he wasn’t going to think too hard on that when his presence was apparently enabling them to help him.

Peter had actually broken three ribs during his seizure because Steve had been holding too tightly, and that made him feel a pang of guilt. He hoped the kid would heal fast, though, since he’d seemed to when they’d fought him before. Steve had dropped a gangway on him, and Scott had given him a good swipe with his giant arm. He’d been okay after that, right?

“Stop,” Bucky said from the doorway where he was leaning. Steve hadn’t even noticed his arrival.

Steve looked up. “Stop what?”

“Dwelling. I know that look. You always get it when you’re stewing over something dumb. You got the kid here in time.” His eyes moved to Peter, who was ashen beneath the oxygen mask they’d placed over his mouth to boost his failing levels. “And it looks like it was just in time.”

Steve ran a hand through his hair. “They think he’s been poisoned, but they can’t use any of their scanning tech since he apparently blew it up last time he was here.”

“What about Stark?”

“He’s just unconscious, they said. The gun they found on his is a battlefield sedation device. If someone’s messed up too badly, it knocks them out so they can treat them in a hurry without hurting them. They say he’ll wake up in a few hours.” 

Bucky nodded stiffly. “Good. They’ve locked up the guy that did it. He was one of the doctors that were treating the kid before.”

“If he was helping him, why did he do this?”

“T’Challa said there’s some resistance built around to Peter being here. They think he’s a threat to them with the Stones. He thought he’d quashed it, but they just went underground.”

A young man came in with a tray of tools, followed by a woman wearing white scrubs. “I’m Doctor Merina,” she said. “And we need your help.”

Steve got to his feet. “Sure. What do I need to do?”

“All the signs are that the child has been poisoned, but we need to know what kind of toxin if we’re going to treat it, and for that, we need to draw blood. However, last time it was attempted, immediately after his arrival in Wakanda, he wouldn’t allow it, and Mr. Stark had to do it. Are you willing to try?”

Steve raised his hands. “I can try, but I’m not Tony. I don’t have that kind of connection with Peter.”

“Try,” she said dryly. “There are numerous poisons that could have been used, and they all have different treatments.”

“Okay. Yeah.” Steve took the proffered tray and set it down on the bed beside Peter’s leg. “How do I do it?”

“Talk to him,” the young man said. “I was there when Mr. Stark was drawing blood, and he spoke to the child as he did it. It seemed to help.”

“His name is Peter,” Bucky said pointedly, a scowl on his face. “He’s not a child.”

The young man and Doctor Mirena nodded, but they looked no more relaxed. Steve wondered if they were part of the resistance. There was no way to know, but he would make sure one of them stayed by Peter’s side until they were out of here in case. One person in a position of trust, a doctor, had tried to kill Peter once, and he wasn’t taking chances of it happening again. 

The man, a nurse Steve guessed, talked him through what he needed to do, and he tightened the tourniquet around Peter’s arm, patted the vein. When it was bulging, he inserted the needle, talking to Peter as he did, reassuring him and reminding him he was safe with them, even though he couldn’t be sure he was.

When he was done, the man carried away the vials of blood, and the doctor checked Peter’s pupils which were as wide as before. She adjusted something on the monitor and then informed them they would be right back when she had the results and slipped out.

Bucky took a tentative step forwards, checking it he would be allowed close, and then came forward into the room and stood at the end of Peter’s bed.

“We can’t stay in Wakanda anymore. You know that, right?”

Steve nodded. “I know, but where do we go? If he’s not safe here…”

Bucky sighed. “It’s not their fault, not really. These people saved me from myself. It was a Wakandan called Thuri that dug the programming out of my head, and T’Challa let me make myself a home here. They’re good people, but they’re scared. They’ve not got the insight we have into him, and they don’t have Stark’s trust backing them up.” His eyes drifted to Tony, who was motionless but otherwise seemed fine, just sleeping. “He loves that kid.”

“He does,” Steve said. “You should have seen him when he got back after the Snap. He’d been in space for weeks, he looked half-dead, and one of the first things he said was that he’d lost the kid. The pain…” He pressed his fingers to the corner of his eyes as he remembered. “He risked everything he’d built with Pepper and Morgan to get him back. When we went to him, it was a hard no, but when he came back, I could see that pain in him again. He told me he’d seen a picture of him and Peter, and he couldn’t resist the thought of getting him back. He _loves_ him.”

Bucky nodded. “It reminds me of how I used to feel about you.”

Steve frowned. “Huh?”

Bucky chucked. “You were the little scrap of a thing with a huge heart that seemed to dive headfirst into trouble every day for the sake of it. Hell, I lost count of how many times I had to haul your ass out of the fire, and it became our thing. Protecting you was my mission. Enlisting and knowing it meant leaving you behind was one of the hardest things I ever did.” He ran a hand over his face. “And I see that in Stark now. He’s got that same drive.”

“I wasn’t that bad,” Steve complained.

Bucky came to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a brief squeeze, “You know what, Steve, you were worse. I think you’d have sent me grey if you haven’t been beefed up with the serum.”

Steve was a little annoyed at the comparison, but he also understood it. He loved Bucky the same way, would die for him in a heartbeat, and he saw the same connection between Tony and Peter. Bucky didn’t have to worry about him getting hurt anymore, he could take care of himself, but he remembered how it had been. Tony shouldn’t have to worry about Peter now either, not with the Stones, but Peter had still been attacked; the Stones hadn’t protected him from that. 

“Where are we going to take him, though?” Bucky asked. “We really can’t stay here, and we can’t drop him back into his old life with the Stones.”

“He’s got nothing left of his old life,” Steve said. “Tony explained when I went to see him to ask them to come to talk to us. He lost his parents when he was young, and his guardians, his aunt and uncle, both died, too. They were all he had for family. He’s only got Tony now.”

“And us,” Bucky corrected. “We’re on his side.”

Steve ran a hand over his face. “Yeah, we are. We need him somewhere isolated and safe. I’ve got a feeling embracing the Stones, learning what they can do, is something he needs space for…” He considered. “What time is it in the US now?”

Bucky shrugged. “They’re behind us, so not late. Why?”

Steve took his phone from his pocket, retrieved from Sam so he could call Pepper and give the terrified woman an update, and said, “I’ve got to make a call.”

He scrolled through his contacts, pulled up the name, and pressed dial. The call ran through, and Nick Fury answered with a curt, “Cap, you going to tell me where you are yet?”

“No,” Steve said. “But you’ll know where we are next. We need somewhere safe and isolated, room enough for a big group, and a lot of space around us, privacy.”

“You looking for a holiday home?” Fury quipped.

“No, I’m looking for a sanctuary. I’m not explaining anything now, but we’ve got something important to protect. Do you have a place?”

“I do. There’s an old SHIELD base in New York you can use. The security is already tight. I’ll get it set up for you. When will you be arriving?”

Steve chanced a glance at Peter, supine on the bed, and said, “I don’t know. Soon. Text me the coordinates. We’ll set it up ourselves. You don’t need to come.”

There was a deep breath. “How big is this thing going to be, Cap?”

“Big,” Steve said heavily. “And you can’t tell anyone we’re going to be there.”

“What are you hiding?” He paused. “ _Who_ are you hiding?”

Steve shot Bucky a glance who was frowning. “I can’t tell you that, but I can tell you it’s important for the world.”

There was a sigh, and then Fury said, “I’m texting you the details now, but I’m going to want answers, understand?”

“I do,” Steve said. “Thank you.” He ended the call and waited for the text to come through with the details of their next haven.

“Fury?” Bucky said.

Steve nodded.

“He wants answers.”

“He does,” Steve agreed. “But he’s not getting them. No one is. Look at what the Accords did to us, and think what would happen if the authorities knew about Peter? No. No one outside of the people that already know are going to be a part of this. We did the truth publicly before, and it failed. We’ll show our faces if we have to, be the Avengers, but Peter is not a part of it. Whatever he chooses, however it goes,” he planted his hands on his knees and leaned forward, “we’re protecting him from that.”

Bucky’s face became solemn. “I’m with you. I’ll tell the others to get us packed up and ready to leave. As soon as it’s safe to move him, we’ll go.”

Steve thanked him and waited until he’d left the room before saying. “You hear that, Queens? We’re getting you somewhere safe, and we’re going to take care of you.”

There was no response, of course, but Steve felt better for saying it. They would get Peter somewhere safe where he could train himself, learn these powers, and the rest of them would be right behind him, ready for whatever came next.

Because T’Challa was right. Thanos wasn’t the biggest threat out there. He was just the biggest they’d faced so far. Their history had shown there was always something new coming for them, and they had to be prepared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… How was that? We’ll go back to Tony in the next chapter, and there will be a conversation with Bucky that is long overdue. It won’t be a magic wand, but it’s a start.  
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony glared at him. “Is there something about this situation that makes you think it’s a good time to try to do this? I mean, is it because I’m a captive audience since you know I won’t leave my son’s side, and I won’t kick you out in case it starts him throwing people around and straining himself? Because I can wait until this is over before kicking your ass.”  
> Barnes smiled slightly. “Perhaps it is that, unconsciously, at least. I just wanted a chance to talk to you, though. I’m not trying to absolve myself of guilt, but I want you to know I am an ally, not a threat: not to you or your son. I want to be a part of this, to help Peter and defend him if it comes to that. I think you need all of us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading and commenting. You have blown me away with the response to this story. Thank you so much Randomskycolor for pre-reading.   
> I am currently working on Chapter Six of the next story in the series, and I am loving it. I am hyped for what’s happening and even more excited about the third story as I get to explore the Stones and Peter’s connection to them in a way I’ve never seen in a story before. This world has me hooked, and I can’t wait to share it with you all.

When Peter came to awareness, he was in the imagined workshop with the Stones again. They were watching him somberly as he got his bearings, and then, when he failed to talk, Power said, “Okay, we get that you’re probably mad, but—”

“Did I kill him?” Peter cut in. “The man that shot Tony, is he dead?”

“No,” Soul said soothingly. “He has a fractured skull, but he’s alive.”

Peter breathed out a sigh of relief. He wasn’t a murderer. He hadn’t meant to do it, it had been automatic, but if what had happened had killed a man, he would never be able to forgive himself.

“And Tony? Is he okay?” he asked urgently.

Power waved a hand in the air. “Yes. He was knocked unconscious for a while, but he’s fine. You’re the one that was hurt.”

Peter ran a hand roughly through his hair, processing his relief, and then returned to his anger. “I could have killed someone because of you!”

“You were defending someone you love,” Space stated. “It was an automatic drive. And next time, that will be down to you.”

Peter frowned. “What?”

Power slapped his hand down on the table. “This is all you, buddy. You’re behind the wheel; we’re just passengers.”

“And the engine,” Reality supplied.

Power grinned, “Yeah, that, too, but I was trying to give the kid a boost, make him see he doesn’t need to be scared about hurting people.” He leaned forwards. “Pete, you’re in control. We can’t make you do something you don’t want to do. We were able to keep Tony close to you when you were unconscious, to protect _him_ , but you stopped us defending yourself. You took control. We can’t defend you again unless you let us.”

Peter nodded. He was actually reassured as he’d been so worried about accidentally hurting someone, and maybe now he’d be able to see Morgan, but he still felt so guilty for hurting someone—fracturing his skull. He felt better to be in control, to know he wouldn’t hurt someone again, but he did feel a little vulnerable now. He would rather be vulnerable than kill someone though,

“What did W’Kebe do to me? I mean, what happened. He injected me with something, right?”

“It was a massive overdose of the painkiller serum they created for you,” Space said. “If not for us, your heart would have stopped almost instantly. As it is, we’ve had to put forward a lot of effort to protect your body from damage. We were able to slow the effects of the anesthesia you were given, but it wasn’t enough. It’s been hours since you were attacked, and we’ve not been able to bring you here before now as you were fighting your own battle.”

Peter sighed. “And how much of that did Tony see?”

“Not much,” Space said with a small nod. “He’s only been awake a little while; he missed the more dramatic moments.”

“That’s good,” Peter said. “I’m glad he missed that.”

He’d already put him through too much stress as it was. He’d seen how he’d looked when he’d woken in the hospital after the battle, how worried he’d been, and he didn’t want him to go through that again.

“You will be awake soon,” Soul said, offering him a small smile. “But we wanted to talk to you first.”

“About what?” Peter asked.

“About us,” Reality said. “You stopped us protecting you today—”

“If that stopped me becoming a murderer, I’m happy about that,” Peter cut in vehemently.

“Yes,” she went on. “But if you do that again, you will be hurt.”

Peter shrugged. “I can handle that. And it’s not like I can be killed. If I am in charge of defending myself, that’s better.”

“Yes, but you need to learn how to harness us in case it happens again,” Mind said. “You _must_ take control now.”

“I thought I was,” Peter said. “I went to see May and Ben with Time, and that was learning.”

Time gave him a small smile. “You were exploring, perhaps, but not learning.”

“We want you to do all those things,” Soul said. “We want you to be happy.”

“But we want you to be stronger more,” Time said.

Peter stared down at his folded hands and said, “Okay, yeah, I get it. I’ll do whatever I’ve got to do to learn, to get control.”

He knew he’d put himself in this position when he’d decided to use the Stones, to protect, but he’d been so happy to see May and Ben, and he’d thought he’d be able to do that again, to just enjoy the benefits of having them.

He had a feeling it was actually going to be a lot of work to learn control, work that didn’t involve him spending time with the people he loved. If anything, it was going to take him away from them. He wouldn’t be able to just spend time with Tony if he was training himself. He had no idea what form training would take, but it was definitely going to be time-consuming.

He wouldn’t change what he’d done, not for anything, and his decision was made about using the Stones to protect the world, but now he felt the real weight of it, and it was heavy.

He ran a hand through his hair and said, “Can I go now? I just want to wake up, see Tony, and then I’ll do whatever it is you want me to do.”

Mind nodded, a small smile curling his lips, and said, “He’s reaching. You know what you need to do.”

Peter focused on the warmth in his chest, and then Tony’s voice reached him, _“I’m waiting, and you know I hate to be kept waiting.”_

Peter took a breath and pulled himself towards the voice, back to consciousness and Tony.

xXx

Tony blinked awake slowly, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He could hear murmuring voices, and above them, a steady beeping sound, a hospital then. He wondered what had happened. Had he been hurt? He tried to remember, and then it washed over him in a rush of horror, and he jack-knifed off the bed, landing on his feet and eyes darting around the room but taking nothing in.

“Peter!” he gasped.

“He’s here, Tony,” Steve said reassuringly. “Look, he’s here.”

Tony’s eyes followed the voice, and he saw Steve sitting beside a second bed on which Peter was lying, pale as the sheet that covered him, oxygen mask over his face and a tube feeding into the back of his hand attached to a bag of clear fluid.

He hurried around his bed and squeezed between the small space between the two beds and placed his hand on Peter’s cheek. He felt warm, though not feverish.

“What happened,” he asked, voice cracking with stress.

“He was poisoned,” Steve said. “Well, overdosed. They found massive amounts of the painkiller serum they’d created for him in his blood.”

Tony squeezed his eyes shut and spoke in a growl. “Who did it?”

“Doctor W’Kebe,” Barnes answered from the doorway—Tony hadn’t even noticed he was there. “He’s part of a group of resistance against Peter.”

“Why didn’t I see?” Tony muttered. “I knew he didn’t like Peter, I saw _that_ , but I didn’t see he’d do something like this.”

“No one did,” Steve said. “Not even T’Challa. He thought he’d quashed the resistance, but they went underground. This was no one’s fault.”

Tony shook his head curtly. He knew Steve was wrong. He should have been more careful, seen the threat before it happened. He didn’t remember anything past walking into the house with Peter, everything that followed was a blur, but he must have been there. Why hadn’t he protected Peter? Why hadn’t the _Stones_?

He stroked a hand over Peter’s forehead, pushing back his hair. “How bad is it?” he asked.

“I’ll get the doctor,” Barnes said. “She’s due back in a moment anyway.”

Tony nodded without looking at him, hearing the door open and close, his eyes still fixed on his kid.

“He was stopping us getting to him and you,” Steve said, and Tony knew he was trying to distract him. “We had to keep you close since he wouldn’t let us leave you behind.”

Tony huffed a laugh. “Of course, he wouldn’t. Stupid kid. He never had any sense of self-preservation.” He finally raised his eyes. “How bad is it really, Steve?”

Steve looked apologetic. “It’s been bad, but he’s doing good now. They’ve had a couple crises, times they thought they’d lose him, but he’s come through each time. At first, it wasn’t so bad, and then…” He looked away.

“And then what?” Tony asked.

“He seemed okay,” Steve said. “Stable. He had a seizure when I was bringing him here—” He dropped his voice. “I was holding him too tight, and he broke ribs, but then he seemed okay, unconscious, but okay, and then out of nowhere, he just—"

“And then we almost lost him,” a voice said from the doorway. A woman entered the room, approached the other side of the bed, checked the monitors, pulled back Peter’s eyelid to check his pupils, and then touched a hand to his throat to feel his pulse. “I’m Doctor Mirena, I’ve been treating Peter.”

Barnes came in behind her, coming to a stop behind Steve’s chair. Tony was so focused on Peter that he didn’t even care that he was in the room, close to his son.

“What happened?” Tony asked. “If he was okay, why did he nearly…” He swallowed down the bile in his throat that the thought brought. “How did he get so bad so fast?”

“As Peter’s body processes the drugs, his condition changes. We cannot be sure without using more technology than blood draws, which he won’t allow, but it seems that his body is combating the drugs in waves, each time getting a little stronger. He’s not had a crisis in an hour.”

“A crisis?”

“Peter’s heart was beginning to fail; it was beating too slowly to preserve his organs. In anyone else, it would have been fatal, but he’s shown no signs of damage from it. Even with his ability to heal, he should not be surviving the amount of drugs in his system or the fatigue to his body, the fact his blood wasn’t reaching his vital organs. He shouldn’t even be breathing on his own right now.”

“He’s a fighter,” Barnes said, unmistakable fondness in his voice. 

Tony’s eyes snapped to him, and he saw that he was smiling at Peter, something in his eyes, a softness, Tony had never seen before in the Winter Soldier.

To him, Barnes had always been a threat, the monster that was responsible for his parents’ deaths, a hardened weapon, but this was a new side to the man. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it, not when it was directed to his son. Sure, Peter did have a way of worming his way into your heart, Rhodey had said it himself, but _Barnes_ …

“He is,” Tony agreed in spite of himself. “No one fights harder than him.”

Barnes nodded, still with that fond smile.

“How long until he wakes up?” Tony asked the doctor.

“I don’t know,” she said. “But given what we have seen versus the size of the dose he was given, I would expect it to be some time yet. The longer he rests, the better for him, though. He has been through an ordeal.”

Tony stroked a thumb over the back of Peter’s hand and said, “It’s not the first time.”

“It’s not,” she agreed and then went on awkwardly, “I want to apologize for what happened to Peter. W’Kebe was one of us, a friend, and none of us suspected he would do something like this. You should all have been safe in Wakanda; we are not people that attack innocents. W’Kebe shamed us.”

Tony looked at her, seeing the earnestness in her face, and he found himself smiling slightly. “He should have been safe, yes, but you’ve got less to apologize for than me. If I’d taken care of him better, seen the threat in W’Kebe, I would have gotten him out of here sooner.”

She nodded, checked Peter’s monitor once more, and then said, “I will be back soon,” and slipped out of the room.

Steve slapped his hands down on his knees. “I’ll go give the others an update, stretch my legs.” He stood, patted Barnes on the shoulder, squeezed Peter’s hand, and said, “I’ll be back soon,” then left.

“He’s not been able to leave Peter’s side since we found you both,” Barnes said.

Tony frowned. “Not been _able_ to?” It sounded like he was saying more than that Steve was just unwilling to leave Peter’s side.

Barnes shook his head and said, pride in his voice, “Steve was the only one Peter let close at first. When he tried to leave, everyone else was held back from him. They needed Peter’s blood to work out what was going on with him, and Steve had to do it.”

Tony just stared at Peter for a moment, absorbing his shock. That had been _him_ ; he’d been the one Peter trusted. How was it Steve, whom he barely knew, had been allowed that close? Was is some sign of self-preservation, after all, Peter knowing he needed help and that Tony couldn’t give it, or was it the Stones that decided? He wasn’t sure how he felt about the Stones deciding things for Peter.

He turned his attention back to Peter, ears tuned to the steady rhythm of the heart monitor. And waited for Barnes to leave, to leave him alone with his kid, but the man merely moved back and gestured to the now-empty seat. “You might want to sit. You still look a little shaky.”

Tony narrowed his eyes and then did move, walking around the bed, sitting, and picking up Peter’s hand.

Barnes moved to perch on the edge of the bed Tony had woken in. He stared for a moment and then cleared his throat and said, “Steve has made arrangements for us to get out of here when Peter is well enough. Fury has set us up with an old SHIELD compound in New York. He says security is good there, and I think we’ll be in less danger in the states. No one outside of those of us that were here when it was revealed about the Stones and only _some_ of the people of Wakanda know about Peter’s connection to them. And not all Wakandans are like W’Kebe. They helped me.”

Tony stared at him, amazed that he had the gall to talk to him when he had shown him no sign of willingness to have a conversation ever, and then he said bitterly, “Yeah, they gave you a place to hide.”

Barnes shook his head. “Not just that; they cured me, too. Without them, I would still be a threat.”

Tony scoffed. “And you’re not now?”

“No. The Hydra programming is gone.”

“Must be nice,” Tony muttered. “Does that erase the guilt?” 

“No, nothing can ever erase that,” he said gravely, “but they’ve given me a chance to be the man I was before. I don’t expect you to understand that, and I know my crimes are unforgivable, especially to you, but I am not the person that killed your parents, not anymore.”

Tony glared at him. “Is there something about this situation that makes you think it’s a good time to try to do this? I mean, is it because I’m a captive audience since you know I won’t leave my son’s side, and I won’t kick you out in case it starts him throwing people around and straining himself? Because I can wait until this is over before kicking your ass.”

Barnes smiled slightly. “Perhaps it is that, unconsciously, at least. I just wanted a chance to talk to you, though. I’m not trying to absolve myself of guilt, but I want you to know I am an ally, not a threat: not to you or your son. I want to be a part of this, to help Peter and defend him if it comes to that. I think you need all of us.”

It was on the tip of Tony’s tongue to tell him Peter didn’t need defending, not now that he had the Stones, but he just had to look at him lying on that bed to see the lie that would be. Peter could have been killed by W’Kebe, and Tony would have been useless to help him, unconscious and out of reach. Maybe Barnes was right; Tony should let him help. The more people on their side, the better, but the thought of letting a murderer be one of them felt wrong.

Barnes stared at him for a moment and then pushed himself off of the bed and walked to the door and said, “I’ll give you some space.”

Tony didn’t comment, he just moved his eyes back to Peter and resumed his soft strokes to his hand, wanting Peter to feel him there, to know he was safe, that Tony wouldn’t leave him again, that he wouldn’t let him be hurt. That was something he couldn’t promise, though. Peter had been hurt on his watch.

Perhaps Barnes had a point that they all needed to be a part of it; Rhodey had said the same thing. But Rhodey had also said Tony was blaming Barnes because it stopped him blaming Steve. He didn’t think that was right. He’d put aside his resentment of Steve when he’d given him his shield back; he’d forgiven the betrayal, knowing it was because Steve had been protecting someone he loved.

He took a breath and exhaled slowly. He would protect any of his family the way Steve had Barnes if the situation was reversed; he would lie and hide anything if it kept them safe. Barnes hadn’t been in control of himself when he’d murdered Maria and Howard Stark, Tony knew that, but the image of Barnes’ hand around his mother’s throat wouldn’t leave him. It was her fear that he saw.

Just because Barnes wasn’t technically The Winter Soldier anymore, did that mean Tony had to forgive him, trust him with one of the most precious things in his life? Was the choice to trust even his to make? Was it Peter’s instead. 

He shook his head and addressed Peter, “Kid, you’re going to wake up soon, right? Because I don’t think I can take this much longer. I’ve spent too much time sitting at your bedside lately, and I miss your voice chattering in my ear.” He placed his hand on Peter’s chest, feeling it rise and fall with Peter’s breaths, and said, “Soon, okay? I’m waiting, and you know I hate to be kept waiting.”

There was the smallest flicker of a finger in response, the slightest movement, but Tony exhaled a sigh of relief and said, “About damn time, kid,”

He knew Peter was fighting. Hell, the kid always fought—he was the real hero among them. He was filled with a rush of pride as Peter’s eyes opened, and a shaking hand came up to tug the oxygen mask from his face. “Sorry I made you wait,” he said weakly.

Tony pushed the mask back over his mouth and pulled his hand away, holding it between his own, and said, “You should be,” gruffly, though he was smiling and his eyes prickling. 

Peter’s lips tugged up in a smile in response. Tony pressed their clasped hands against his forehead and said, “You can’t do this to me again, kid.”

“I won’t,” Peter said. “We’ve got a plan.”

Tony lowered their hands and fixed his eyes on him. “You’ve got a plan?”

“Yeah. We have.” He blinked drowsily. “I’ll tell you about it later. I’m kinda tired.”

Though Tony wanted him awake and talking, he could see weariness cutting lines into Peter’s forehead and around his drawn mouth, so he pushed back his hair, patted his cheek, and said, “Rest. We can talk when you’re ready.”

Peter nodded slightly and said. “Yeah, we will…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… A little insight into Bucky. I don’t want him and Tony to be miraculously friends, but I do want to ease some of the resentment there for the sake of them all. That’s something that’s much more improved in Story Two.  
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What are you doing, Colonel?” Ross asked, sounding bored.  
> “Getting the hell out of here, Mr. President,” he said, shrugging off his jacket and slapping his hand down on the amulet on his chest, which flared to life, spreading nanites across his body which solidified into his armor.  
> “Stop him!” Ross shouted, jumping to his feet. “Arrest him! Shoot him!”  
> A dozen soldiers ran from their places at the walls and charged at Rhodey, guns drawn, but he was already in motion. Thrusters shot him into the air, and he aimed a blast at the large window which shattered outwards in shards that he hoped didn’t hurt anyone below as he blasted through the frame where they had been and into the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Update Day!  
> Wednesdays and Saturdays are my favourite days of the week as I get to put new chapters up and share the excitement of it with you all.  
> I’m not sure if I’ve already told you but With Great Power stands at 103k words and 32 chapters. The second story in the series — which has a working title of This Is My Gift, My Curse — is currently at Chapter Nine and I anticipate around 4 more. That may change, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be the monster story this one is. It’s a shorter piece as it’s a recovery story — once you see the end of this one you’ll see why it’s needed. We’ll be thrown back into big plot developments with Story Three which does not yet have a title is probably going to be a long one as I have a lot planned and many ‘new’ characters to introduce. As you’ve seen, With Great Power has been limited to The Avengers and I’ve neglected all those that were in Endgame. With the third story, I will change that. I plan to make the most of the wealth of MCU characters available — and worlds ;-)

Rhodey took his seat and stared up at the faces looking across at him. This was the first of what he knew would be many times he had to tell this story, but this was the big one. The President was staring at him, the one elected after the Snap since Ellis had been lost with half the world’s population. It had been a landslide election as there was one person with the loudest voice and clearest message—blame the Avengers for not saving us.

Thaddeus Ross was President of the United States.

“Colonel Rhodes,” Ross said, his smile smugger than ever before. “I am glad you could find the time to speak to us.”

“Of course, Mr. President,” Rhodey said carefully, allowing no sign of his feelings to show, no hint that he detested this man for the role he’d played in the destruction of the world. If he had not pushed the Accords, turned Steve, Natasha, and Sam into outlaws, the Avengers might have had a chance to work as a team and save the world from all its suffering.

“We have already heard one version of what transpired from Captain Rogers, but I would like to hear it from a more… trusted source.”

“I can’t tell you anything different to the Cap,” Rhodey said. “The battle was won by Tony Stark. During the battle, he was able to retrieve the stones from the gauntlet and place them in his suit. When he had them all, he snapped his fingers again, and the threat was neutralized. He’s a hero.”

It was the carefully prepared story they’d all agreed upon, because if Ross and his people knew what Spider-Man was capable of, they would never let him rest. Iron Man was already an accepted hero by most, and he had the history behind him to back up the claim. Peter Parker, the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, already had his opposers thanks to The Daily Bugle and didn’t have the reputation to back him up.

“Yes, Iron Man saved the world,” Ross said. “A true hero. That is a very impressive claim.”

Rhodey kept his tone even. “It wouldn’t be the first time Tony was a hero.”

The man beside Ross, the former President Ellis, leaned forwards. “It wouldn’t,“ he agreed. “But we have heard conflicting accounts, Colonel Rhodes.”

Ross nodded. “Yes, and so we were hoping we could trust in you to clear it up for us.”

Rhodey fought the urge to wipe his sweaty palms on his pants. If Thor had spoken to them… if they knew about Peter… He wouldn’t have done it, would he?

Thor had never wanted any part in the politicians or authorities when he was there before. He would come into battle, play his part, then remove himself from the situation before any official debrief was required. But if he genuinely believed Peter was a threat, he might have spoken up. The team had shown him they would stand against him to protect Peter, and he’d left, but would he have been underhand enough to bring in other threats against them?

Ross rubbed his chin. "So, your account of the situation is that, during the midst of what must have been an incredibly difficult and chaotic battle, Tony Stark was able to retrieve the stones from the gauntlet. He then, avoiding pursuit from many enemies and Thanos himself, placed them in his suit and to then proceed to recreate the Snap which had wiped out half world’s population, and this destroyed the enemy?”

“Technically, it had destroyed half the Universe’s population,” Rhodey said. “And yes, that’s what happened. The gauntlet changed hands a lot of times. Every hero there played a part in keeping it away from Thanos. Tony was the final opponent.”

Ellis narrowed his eyes, and Ross’ lips quirked with a small smile.

“Quite the hero. And according to Captain Rogers, he survived doing it,” Ross said. “Or is that not true? He has blocked all calls and contact with us thus far.”

“Tony’s alive,” Rhodey said. “He’s just busy. He was injured and is being treated.”

“Treated where?” Ross asked.

“Somewhere safe.”

“Wakanda,” the woman on the right of Ross—Speaker of the House, Sonia Baxter, said. “Where else?”

Ross nodded. “Yes, I believe Mr. Stark might be in Wakanda, but I don’t believe he is being treated for any kind of injury. Before we go on, Colonel Rhodes, would you like to amend your statement at all?”

Rhodey was uneasy now. He was sure they knew more than they were saying, but there was hope. If it was Thor that had told them what happened on the battlefield, it was his word against theirs, and Thor was an unknown quantity to them. Rhodey had a history of obeying orders and cooperating with the Accords. They’d listen to him, he hoped.

He swallowed. “No. I have told you the truth.”

Ross nodded, looking strangely satisfied, and said. “In that case, what would you say about this…” He pressed a button on the touchpad in front of him, and a hologram appeared, flickered, and then died. “Damn Stark technology,” he muttered. “I can never make it work right.”

“May I, Mr. President?” Ellis asked.

Ross leaned back. “Go ahead, Matthew.”

Ellis pressed a button, and a glowing hologram appeared. It was a view of a spread of dust and dirt covered ground, filled with moving figures. Rhodey's heart began to race, and sweat trickled down the back of his neck. He fought the urge to squirm as he thought he knew what he was looking at; after all, he’d been there.

“Stark technology has its drawbacks,” Ellis said conversationally. “But it does create top-notch satellites.” He made a motion with his hand, and the image zoomed in and focused.

It was the battle Rhodey had witnessed and fought in. Fights were being waged all over, but the screen was centered on Peter as he ran with the gauntlet, Tony’s suit’s created spider legs were spread from his back and stabbing the chitauri that surrounded him. Even though Rhodey knew Peter was okay, he was safe in Wakanda, it was hard to see the kid surrounded by enemies. He’d not seen this part of the battle as he’d been locked in combat at the time, so it was new to him to see Peter gliding along from a web attached to Mjolnir and then being knocked down and caught by Pepper.

“Skip to the good part,” Ross said in a bored tone.

Ellis waved his hand, and the images rushed past until they were focused on Peter on the ground with the gauntlet hugged against his chest. He looked so damn young there, the powerful weapon and threat in his hands, and Rhodey swallowed hard.

“Here’s the good part,” Ross said.

Carol Danvers landed in front of Peter, and the kid got to his feet. His hands moved as if he was going to hand over the gauntlet, and then he seemed to freeze a moment before he slipped it onto his arm. Rhodey hadn’t seen this either, busy beating back a dozen chitauri at the time, but he’d imagined it. The image was blurry, and there was no sound, but Rhodey felt he could almost hear the kid’s heart racing as he raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

Then there was the part he had seen, the enemy being cast into ashes, the people flocking towards Peter, and then the explosion of energy that had knocked them all back. The image flickered and disappeared.

“That’s where the footage ends,” Ross said. “As you can see, it shows a very different scene to the one you and Captain Rogers described. Would you like to comment on that?”

Rhodey swallowed hard. “I have no comment to make, Sir.”

Ross’ lips quirked in a smile. “I figured as much.”

Speaker Baxter leaned forwards and said, “How old is that boy, Colonel?”

“Eighteen,” Rhodey said quickly.

He didn’t want them to have the added freedom of Peter’s age as well as orphan status to give them more reason to go after him. Though after what they’d seen, was there anything they could do to defend him?

His heart was racing, and now the sweat was dripping freely down his face.

“Incorrect,” Ellis said, bringing up the hologram again and displaying a picture of Peter, a small smile in place and hair untidy on his New York State learners’ permit. “He is sixteen years old. Peter Parker, formerly Vanished. Parents—Richard and Mary Parker—deceased. Uncle—Benjamin Parker—deceased. Last known guardian—Aunt, May Parker—deceased two years ago.”

Ross tilted his chin up. “Tell me, Colonel Rhodes, is the boy alive?”

“No,” Rhodey said. “He died.”

He thought it was the best way to keep Peter safe, at least as safe as he could be now. If he was alive, they'd come for him. They'd want to talk to him, question him, even if they didn't know about the Stones, and they couldn’t or they’d know he was alive, unless that was another trick…

“Peter Parker died when he saved the world,” he went on, hating the feeling of the words on his tongue but knowing it was what he had to say to protect him.

“I am not inclined to believe you, Colonel,” Ross said. “I think there is a reason you and Captain Rogers hid the fact it was a child that ended the battle, and I believe there is more to it than the fact he was a child on a battlefield and that you were ashamed.” He leaned forward, examining Rhodey like he was a bug under a microscope. “Where is the child?”

“Dead.”

“Wakanda,” Speaker Baxter said. “Where else would they take him to hide?”

Ross nodded slowly. “I think you’re correct, Sonia. Colonel Rhodes, you will be placed under arrest for treason to the United States. You sought to deny the truth to the President and assembled board in a matter of national security. You will be tried by court-martial and will accept your punishment.”

“What are you going to do about Peter?” Rhodey asked automatically.

Ross smiled. “To do? Nothing more than speak to him and give him the thanks of the country for saving us. What did you expect?”

Rhodey stared at him. He didn’t believe a word of it. He thought Ross was going to get Peter and turn him into a poster child for him and his power. The kid that saved the world, the best of America; he’d be the new Captain America. Peter would never have peace again.

He got to his feet and fumbled with his blazer. Part of his mind was trying to process what he was doing, making sense of this choice, but he was already decided. This was the end of his career, he knew; it was the end of everything he’d worked for. But he was damned if he was going to go along with Ross, be court-martialed and thrown out of the military or locked up while Peter was taken and used to further Ross’ ends.

“What are you doing, Colonel?” Ross asked, sounding bored.

“Getting the hell out of here, Mr. President,” he said, shrugging off his jacket and slapping his hand down on the amulet on his chest, which flared to life, spreading nanites across his body which solidified into his armor.

“Stop him!” Ross shouted, jumping to his feet. “Arrest him! Shoot him!”

A dozen soldiers ran from their places at the walls and charged at Rhodey, guns drawn, but he was already in motion. Thrusters shot him into the air, and he aimed a blast at the large window which shattered outwards in shards that he hoped didn’t hurt anyone below as he blasted through the frame where they had been and into the air.

“Come back here, Rhodes!” Ross bellowed after him, but Rhodey was gone.

He shot into the air, flying across the buildings of Washington DC, his heart racing but mind clear. “Home Base, get Tony on the line,” he commanded.

His AI came to life. “Calling Tony Stark.”

Tony’s image appeared in the view screen of his helmet, and then the man’s voice came through the speakers, sounding angry before he’d even heard the crapstorm Rhodey was about to unleash.

“Rhodey, where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling you. They tried to—”

“Peter’s in danger,” Rhodey said. “They know.”

“I already know he’s in danger. Some asshole tried to kill him!”

“But… Wait! What? Is he okay?”

“He _says_ he’s fine, but he’s mostly been sleeping, which the doctor says is good, but it was rough for a while. T’Challa is dealing with the asshole that did it, but I want him out of Wakanda. T’Challa’s feelings about Peter aren’t shared by everyone, and we only know who’s thinking what in about five cases. Now, who knows what?”

“Ross knows what Peter did.”

Tony cursed loudly and fluidly. “Does he know about the Stones?”

“I don’t think so, but he wants him. We can’t let that happen, Tone. You know what Ross was like before, and he’s worse now he’s got the top job.”

“Damn right, but coming to the US now…” He cursed. “Steve got us a place in New York, an old Shield compound that Fury set us up with, but if Ross is looking—” He cut off and then said, as if to himself, “We can’t stay here, it’s not safe.”

“Then go to New York,” Rhodey said. “Send me the details, and I’ll meet you there.”

“I don’t know, Rhodey…”

“What choice do we have?” Rhodey snapped. “I just War Machined my way out of being arrested, Tone. They will come for Peter. They know where he is, at least they’ve guessed. Wakanda is protected, yeah, but only from the outside. If people in there are gunning for the kid, he’s not safe. I’ve got to get out of this suit before they come after me. Way Ross was looking, I wouldn’t be surprised if he sent in the big guns.”

“Jesus, Rhodey…” Tony sighed. “Okay, we’ll get Peter out of here as soon as we get the okay from his doctor. We’ll meet you in New York. Friday will send coordinates to Home Base.”

“Good. Let me know when you’re—" An alarm blared on his screen, and he saw two red targets fixing on him. He looked back and saw the jets on his tail. “Got to go, Tony!”

“You okay?”

“I’ve got company of the missile-equipped variety.”

“You need me?” Tony asked warily. 

“You’re four thousand miles away,” he reminded him. “And I’ve already got the best of you in this suit, but thanks. I’ll see you soon. Take care of the kid.”

Tony started to reply, worry in his voice, but Rhodey cut the call and said, “Home Base, let’s shake them off.”

“How will we do that, Colonel?”

Rhodey looked out over the Potomac. “We’re getting above water, and we’re doing it fast.”

“Do you intend to allow them to shoot you?”

“No. I intend to outrun them, but if they start firing, I want it away from civilians.”

“They are X-15 fighter jets, Colonel.”

“And I’m War Machine,” Rhodey said as the edge of his screen turned red as he was locked in the targets of the bomb behind him. “Going up!”

His thrusters angled downwards, and he shot into the air. The jets followed, and he took a breath. This was nothing. If Peter could save the world, Rhodey could get out of this.

He had to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… A little more action! I do love writing this stuff, almost as much as I love hurt/comfort. We’ll be out of Wakanda in the next chapter, and Peter will soon take another step in harnessing the Stones.  
> I noticed I didn’t hear from as many of you after the last chapter as I usually did. I hope it was just because it was a slow chapter and you had nothing to say. I hope I haven’t lost you as I’ve loved sharing this journey with you all. You have blessed me with comments and kudos so far and I’ve grown to look forward to seeing the familiar names in my inbox.  
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We don’t know what the blast itself was, but we know it was too great for even Peter, who was enhanced, to live through. He died.” He stated it brutally, making both Tony and Peter flinch.  
> Even though he knew he was fine, alive and well, it was still hard to hear, and apparently hard for Tony, too. He wanted to get away from this conversation, to escape it, and was on the point of asking Space to take him back, when Fury spoke again, and there was darkness in his voice.  
> Fury smiled smugly. “If he’s dead, why did I intercept a message from Wakanda telling Ross that the kid had left Wakanda early this morning on the Quinjet?” He leaned forwards. “And why did I hear that the kid is now the most dangerous weapon the world has ever seen?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Hello all! I got a treat yesterday when I checked my stats and saw I’d passed 700 kudos without realizing. I cannot say how much that means to me, though I’ve tried many times. I truly never expected so many of you to enjoy the story. It enthuses me to write every day.**
> 
> **With the last update I said the sequel was coming along well and I was on Chapter Nine. Yeah… that’s changed. I realized I was going in the completely wrong direction. Instead of building bonds the way I planned, I was breaking them down. The Stones weren’t featured at all, either. It was turning into an angst-fest. I’m no stranger to angst, it’s actually a favourite of mine, but it was not what I wanted for this world. I went back and cut myself down to Chapter Four and I’m rebuilding from there. With the way I am writing and the flow, it shouldn’t interrupt the update schedule, and the finished story will be much better for it.**
> 
> I realized after I'd sent them that I did some comment replies from my Twilight account instead of this one. Sorry for any confusion. It is still me, though.

Tony touched the Quinjet down on the tarmac outside what would be their new home for the foreseeable future, and he powered it down and then unsnapped his seatbelt.

“Honeys, we’re home,” he called over his shoulder.

There were murmuring voices, and Steve, who had been beside him in the cockpit, ran a hand over his face and said, “Finally.”

Tony understood his feelings. Though they’d been cloaking themselves all the way from Wakanda, he’d been worried. He’d heard from Rhodey shortly before they’d left Wakanda, moving a still-weak Peter from the hospital against Tony’s will but with Peter’s assurances that he’d be fine, and he’d said that it had been hard for him to shake off the jets Ross had sent after him.

The fact Ross had done that, had been obviously aiming to take Rhodey out of the air, ultimately killing him, made him see how high the stakes were. Now Rhodey was a wanted man. It was going to be just as important to keep him hidden from Ross and his people now as it was to keep Peter undercover.

He went back to the central area of the jet and saw Peter strapped into his seat between Barnes and Bruce. His chin was resting on his chest, and he looked like he was asleep, but when Tony gently nudged his shoulder, Bruce said, “We tried that, but he is _out._ ”

“Then why did you try to wake him?” Tony asked.

“For food,” Barnes said. “He’s been like this since we got out of Wakanda.”

“Well, he can’t stay like it,” Tony said, giving Peter a small shake. “Wake up, Pete!”

Peter’s head lolled, and his brow furrowed and lips pouted in a way that made him look so much younger than his sixteen years.

Tony chuckled. “Rise and shine, kid. If you wake up, I’ll feed you.”

Peter’s eyes cracked open, and he looked around blearily, seeming to need a moment to take in the expectant faces staring at him, and then his cheeks colored. He rubbed his hands over his face and shook out his shoulders.

“We there already?” he asked.

“Yep,” Tony said. “So, come look at your new home. It’s was SHIELD property, so I’m thinking it’ll be full of disco balls and Britney Spears posters. You’ll love it.”

Peter looked shocked, and then a smile crept over his face. “You’re kidding, right?”

Tony grinned. “I am. It’s probably stocked full of tech for us to play with since it was an old research and development base, which is exactly what we need since I am going to install Friday and I need to work on our suits since you trashed yours in the battle and I left my best one behind.”

Peter rubbed the side of his nose and averted his eyes. “I don’t think I need mine anymore. Things are different now, you know, and I can’t—” He gave his head a small shake. “I can help you work on yours, though, if you let me.”

Tony frowned, wanting to point out that things might be different now, but not so different that Peter was leaving Spider-Man behind, but before he could, the ramp was lowering, and Rhodey was standing at the bottom, arms spread and voice loud as he said, “Welcome to The Tool Shed. It’s a riot.”

“The Tool Shed?” Bruce asked.

Rhodey shrugged as he walked up the ramp. “SHIELD had all kinds of names for their bases, some better than others. I guess they ran out of cool names when they built this place. You and Pete will love it, though, Tone. They’ve got a lab and a workshop with stuff that I don’t even know the names of, let alone what it does, and the bedrooms are _nice_.” He patted Peter on the shoulder. “Well, some are nice. Don’t worry about it, though, kid. I’ve already scoped the place out and claimed the good ones for you and me.”

“What about the rest of us?” Tony asked.

Rhodey chuckled. “You can argue it out amongst yourselves. You like bunk beds, right?”

Tony’s mouth dropped open. “Are you serious?”

Rhodey winked and said, “Come on, Pete, let me give you the tour.”

Peter unsnapped his seatbelt and followed Rhodey off the plane and out of sight.

“Well, for someone that had to escape bomb-armed jets, he’s in a surprisingly good mood,” Steve said.

“Adrenaline rush,” Tony said. “He always was a sucker for it.”

He thought it was more than that, though. In the hours it had taken them to get Peter out of the hospital, to make arrangements to fly to New York and to speak to T’Challa about the imprisonment of W’Kebe and his accomplice and possible his fate—they’d all agreed to allow T’Challa to mete out Wakandan justice and to inform them of what happened after the fact—he thought Rhodey had been stewing and stressing over the fact they were parted. Now they were together again, Peter was in a place they could protect, he was feeling more in control of the situation. Tony was feeling the same way.

“Okay, Bruce,” he said, “we’ve got a lot of stuff to get inside, so let’s load you up.”

Bruce scowled. “Just because I am stronger, it doesn’t mean I have to be the packhorse. Steve’s got super strength, too.

“I’ll help,” Steve said, giving Tony a pointed look. “We all will.”

Tony went to where they’d strapped in the weapons, boxes and bags of stuff they’d brought from Wakanda, some of which was tech Shuri had sent for him to play around with, and grabbed a box then carried it off the jet.

The base looked pretty basic from the outside, grey brick and vast windows, as SHIELD bases usually did. Without talented architects on their staff and no Pepper, who had assisted with designing both the tower and compound, they followed a basic blueprint. The surroundings were beautiful, though. They were beside a lake with a stony shore and rocks on which to sit, and there was a jetty where Tony thought Rhodey could teach Peter to fish. Around the lake and behind the building was forest as far as he could see with towering trees. Tony thought Peter would like it, even though it would be a stark difference to Queens. It would do the kid some good to get some nature into his life. Tony had liked it at his place once he’d gotten used to it.

He carried the box inside, through a large lobby area and into a large area filled with couches, a large but dated TV, a pool table off to one side, and bookshelves filled with what looked like textbooks that Peter was examining.

“What do you think?” Tony asked, setting his box down on the couch and sending up a small puff of dust.

“It’s great,” Peter said enthusiastically. “They’ve got some of the books I had back home but. I think they’re kind basic for what they’d have been doing here, but they’ll be great for me since I didn’t finish them before everything went crazy. They’ve even got one on Doctor Banner’s work.”

Tony smiled, pleased to see the happiness in his kid after so much drama. He should have known it would be something like this that would please him. Peter had always been happiest in the workshop with him during his intern time.

The others came in, loaded with boxes, and set them down with Tony’s, sending more dust into the air that tickled Tony’s nose and made him sneeze.

“Yeah, we’re going to have to do some housekeeping,” Rhodey said. “I don’t know when this place was last used, probably before SHIELD fell, but it’s going to take a bit of work to make it habitable without triggering Tony’s allergies.”

“I don’t have allergies,” Tony grumbled, making Peter laugh.

“Maybe not allergies,” Rhodey amended. “But you are a pretty big germophobe, and I don’t think you’ve _ever_ done a stroke of housework in your life, so this will be a whole new experience for you.”

Peter’s lips quirked into a smile. “You’re a germophobe?”

“All sane people are,” Tony said defensively, though he was amused by Peter’s reaction. “Who likes being sick?”

Peter shrugged. “No one, I guess. I was sick all the time before the spider bite. I had crazy asthma, and I was always catching bugs that were going around the school.”

“Ahh, asthma,” Steve said. “I’ve been there, Queens. Before the serum, I was pretty fragile.”

Peter looked surprised. “Really? I know it was a big change after you were made into Captain America, but I didn’t know it was that bad.”

Rhodey laughed. “You have no idea, Pete. When we can, I’ll take you to the Smithsonian to see the Captain America exhibit. It’s got before and after photos.”

Steve cleared his throat. “And on that note, I’m going to pick out a room.”

“Dibs on top bunk,” Sam said.

Steve waved a hand and wandered out of the room.

Tony watched him go and then turned as Peter dusted off his hands and said, “I’m going to find some stuff to start cleaning up with,” and wandered out of the room.

Rhodey locked eyes with Tony and said, “Well, Tone, I think you’re about to experience something totally new in the form of a vacuum.”

“I could just make one that’ll do it for us,” Tony suggested. “It wouldn’t take long.”

“It probably wouldn’t,” Rhodey agreed. “But it won’t be nearly as character-building.”

“I already have plenty of character,” Tony protested.

There was a bark of laughter from Sam and a quiet chuckle from Bruce.

Tony glared around at them, though he was a little amused, too. There was a good feeling in the room, a lightness they’d all needed, even the fact Barnes was smiling, though his head was ducked, felt okay.

Maybe that conversation in Peter’s hospital room had made a difference after all. That was unexpected, but probably a good thing—Rhodey would think so anyway. If Peter needed someone else to talk to, and _if_ he chose Barnes to be that person, it would be easier for Tony now to see it happen.

xXx

 _‘You should spend some more time with us,’_ Mind said as Peter squirted Cif into the sink and picked up the scrubbing brush.

“I know,” he said in a mutter. “But I’ve got time. This place is kinda gross right now, and I don’t want to live in gross. Besides, I’ve got time later. I was thinking I could see May and Ben again tonight.”

_‘You need to do more than explore time if you’re going to learn.’_

Peter pursed his lips. “I will, but it’s all learning, right?”

_‘You already know the answer to that. What did Time tell you?’_

“That it was exploring,” Peter grumbled, getting to work on a stubborn stain with more vigor than really necessary.

_‘You’re removing the porcelain.’_

Peter lifted the brush and saw that he’d mashed the bristles down to nothing and that there was a dull mark on the sink. “Crap. You know that’s your fault, right? You distracted me.”

There was no response, not that Peter had really expected one.

“Okay,” he said. “What do I have to do to learn?”

_‘We will start with Reality. If you can learn to manipulate with her help, you will be better able to protect yourself. Get comfortable.’_

Peter tossed the ruined scrubbing brush into the sink and closed the toilet lid and sat down. “Ready.”

He waited for Mind to speak up, but it was Reality’s voice he heard. She was one of those that seldom spoke when he was with the Stones, and she’d never spoken when he wasn’t with them, and her voice was soft and unexpectedly gentle as she said. “We are going to create beauty, Peter.”

“Uh… okay,” he said doubtfully. “How are we going to do that?”

“What do you think is beautiful?”

Peter snorted. “I don’t know. Liz was beautiful, I mean like _really_ , but it’s not like I can create her. Can I? Because I don’t want to. That’d be weird and wrong and probably illegal.”

She laughed softly. “What do you find beautiful in nature?”

Peter felt stupid, sitting on a toilet with a voice in his head asking him what he thought was beautiful, and he couldn’t work out how that was supposed to help him learn anything. He considered, though. What _was_ beautiful?

“May liked butterflies,” he said eventually. “She used to take me to the butterfly garden in Central Park to see them.”

_‘Then we will start there. Close your eyes and focus on what you want to create. Imagine them around you.’_

Still feeling stupid, and now self-conscious, too, Peter let his eyes fall closed and tried to imagine. May used to like the purple ones, the Purple Emperors, as she said they had a spiritual connection to people. He fixed them in his mind and focused, imagining them flying around his head.

_‘Open your eyes, Peter.’_

He did, and his breath caught as he saw them, flickers of color around him, wings beating. He held up a finger, and one landed on it, antennae moving as they smelled the air.

“Well, this is cool,” he said. “Is it really helping me, though? Because it doesn’t feel like it.”

 _‘It’s helping,’_ she assured him. _‘And it is not too taxing, so you will not be exhausted by it.’_

That was good, he supposed, as he wanted to get more done than sitting with butterflies flying around his head. There was still a lot of cleaning to do, and it didn’t seem fair that he was doing this and leaving it to everyone else, especially with how much Tony had grumbled about doing it and had said that it would be easier on everyone if he just hired cleaners to do it for them. Rhodey had pointed out, a little impatiently, that if the Avengers brought cleaning services to their supposedly secret base, word was going to get out where they were.

Peter raised his finger to his face, examining the butterfly, and then started when he heard a voice calling. “Hey, Pete, we need to— Oh, sorry,” as Rhodey appeared in the doorway and then clapped his hand over his eyes. “Didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“No,” Peter said, jumping to his feet. “I wasn’t doing _that_. It was something with Reality. I was just sitting down, honestly, not using it.”

Rhodey lowered his hand and said, “Good, because we have doors for a reason, and... Are those butterflies?”

Peter’s cheeks colored. “Yeah, I was trying to manipulate reality.”

“You succeeded,” Rhodey said, and then gave his head a quick shake and said, “We’ve got to stay out of the way for a minute. Steve said someone’s on their way here. He heard the engine. Since you and I are the ones that are supposed to be hidden, we’ve got to actually hide for a while.”

Peter frowned, and the butterflies disappeared. “Who’s coming?”

Rhodey shrugged. “No idea. Let’s go hang somewhere that’s not a restroom, though.”

Peter followed him out and into the bedroom Rhodey had set aside for him and sat on the edge of the bed and listened. As he focused, he heard the sound of an approaching engine that cut off and the sounds of doors opening and closing. 

He wondered who was coming, who even knew they were there.

 _‘Would you like to see?’_ Space asked.

“Yeah, hang on,” Peter said, then addressed Rhodey. “I’ll be right back.”

He felt a swoop in his stomach as he rose up and out of his body, leaving it sitting on his bed beside Rhodey, who was staring at him with evident anxiety. He wondered if he should go back and explain, then he heard a deep voice and allowed it to draw him away. Rhodey would be fine, and it wasn’t like it was the first time he’d seen Peter vague out; he’d know what was happening.

Peter drifted into the living area and saw Steve, Bucky, and Sam standing with their arms at their sides and guns tucked into the back of their pants, Bruce standing a little behind them, arms over his chest, and Wanda a little further back with an anxious look in her eyes.

A moment later, Tony came into the room, leading two people, a man and a woman. The man was tall and had a patch over his left eye and was wearing a long black leather coat. He had a strange look about him, something that made Peter feel like he was used to wielding power and not in the way the Avengers did. The woman had dark hair, pulled back from her face, and was wearing a more casual beige sweater and black pants under a black jacket. She also seemed to be used to power, though, or perhaps being in a position of authority.

“Look who showed up,” Tony said with unmistakable tension in his voice.

Steve stepped forward and shook hands with each of them, greeting them by name. “Fury, Maria, what can we do for you?”

“We wanted to check in,” Fury said, taking a seat without invitation and gesturing the woman to sit with him. Peter had a feeling that he wasn’t the kind of man that waited for invitations for anything.

Tony and Steve exchanged a dark look, and, if it was the cue for them all, everyone took seats and leaned forward, faces oddly expectant.

Fury sat back, the picture of relaxation, and said, "So, what do you think of the new place?"

“It’s great,” Steve said. “Thanks for setting us up with it.”

“Are you going to tell me why you needed a place to hide?” Fury asked. “Since you’ve got a safe house with Barton and you’ve got your own place with Miss. Potts? Or is it Mrs. Stark now? I heard you got married and that you’ve got a kid now. Congratulations. I’d have sent a gift, but I was busy being dead and all.”

“It’s Stark now,” Tony said, jaw jumping. “And thanks.”

“And you need the place because….” Maria asked pointedly.

“We just thought it would be good to have a place to regroup after everything that happened,” Steve said. “We didn’t want to impose on Clint; he lost a lot in the snap, and it was harder on him than some.”

Fury fixed his gaze on Tony. “And you? What would make you leave your wife and child to stay here?”

“I’ve not left them,” Tony said in a biting tone. “I’ve just got responsibilities here.”

“Yeah, responsibilities,” Fury said. “Like Rhodes? I heard he blasted his way out of a meeting with Ross and disappeared. Is he here, too?”

“No,” Tony said. “I’ve not heard from him.”

Maria narrowed her eyes. “Why are you lying to us, Tony? Don’t you trust us?”

Tony shrugged. “I’ve learned to trust no one. It’s safer that way.”

Fury seemed to be scrutinizing him, and Tony stared back at him, his face neutral, but his eyes filled with tension.

After a long moment of silence, Fury sat forwards and said, “Is the kid alive, Tony?”

Even though he was not truly there, Peter could feel the tension in the room ratchet up like a physical weight on his chest.

“What kid?” Tony asked.

Fury chuckled. “Spider-Man. I saw the satellite images, Tony, I know what he did. And I heard from a source at the after-action report that Rhodes said he was killed. Is that true, or is he who you’re protecting.”

Tony’s eyes darkened, and he said, “He’s dead.” Though there was finality in his tone, Peter could see the pain he was trying to conceal. He hoped Fury could see it, too, as it would back up what he was saying.

“He is,” Steve said. “Peter Parker was on the battlefield, you know, and you probably saw what he did, too—”

Fury nodded. “I saw him put the gauntlet on and snap, I saw the threat eliminated, and then I saw the blast which cut off one of your own satellites, Stark. I know your tech isn’t weak, so what the hell happened to that kid?”

Tony didn’t answer, ducking his head instead to hide the look of pain that had flashed across his features, but Steve spoke. “We don’t know what the blast itself was, but we know it was too great for even Peter, who was enhanced, to live through. He died.” He stated it brutally, making both Tony and Peter flinch.

Even though he knew he was fine, alive and well, it was still hard to hear, and apparently hard for Tony, too. He wanted to get away from this conversation, to escape it, and was on the point of asking Space to take him back, when Fury spoke again, and there was anticipation in his voice.

Fury smiled smugly. “If he’s dead, why did I intercept a message from Wakanda telling Ross that the kid had left Wakanda early this morning on the Quinjet?” He leaned forwards. “And why did I hear that the kid is now the most dangerous weapon the world has ever seen?”

Peter sucked in a sharp breath and felt a lurching in his stomach as he snapped back to the bedroom to find Rhodey's hand on his shoulder, and his eyes fixed on his face.

“Pete?” he said quietly. “You with me?”

Peter nodded, placing a hand over his facing heart.

“Yeah, I’m here, but…” He drew a shaky breath. “I’m in trouble.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **So… Fury knows, too. I was so nervous about writing Fury as he’s such a tough character, so I hope I pulled it off. Let me know what you think.**
> 
> **Until next time…**
> 
> **Clowns or Midgets xxx**


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony struggled to his feet and approached Peter, who was reeling like he was standing on the deck of a rolling ship. He placed his hand on his back to steady him, feeling Peter’s weight settle against him, and turned his head to face him. He was shocked to see a trickle of blood coming from Peter’s nose, running over his lips to his chin.   
> “Damn, kid, what did you do?” he asked.   
> Peter’s bloody lips tugged into a smile, and he said, “We hid us,” before his eyes rolled back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Randomskycolor for pre-reading, Prongs100 for helping me work out the kinks, and you all for reading xxx

_“If he was dead, why was Steve looking relieved, and why the hurry to get him through the portal?” He took a deep breath, and a smug smile spread across his face. “And why did I intercept a message from Wakanda telling Ross that the kid had left Wakanda early this morning on the Quinjet?” He leaned forwards. “And why did I hear that the kid is not the most dangerous weapon the world has ever seen?”_

Tony was on his feet in an instant, hands fisted, and there was a rush of noise in the room. Fury was on his feet, too, face completely assured.

Steve grabbed Tony’s shoulder, his voice harsh in his ear. “No, Tony!”

Fury spread his arms as if inviting the blow, “Go ahead, Stark, hit me. That’s about as smart as anything else you’ve done since I got here.”

Tony shouted a curse, and Steve hissed in his ear, too low for Fury to hear, “He can _hear_ you, Tony.”

Tony felt the words douse him like a bucket of ice water. Peter could hear him, and if he got upset and started throwing people around, they’d be hurt. He didn’t care if Fury was hurt, hell, he wanted to shoot the asshole, but he didn’t want Peter to carry the guilt of it.

He froze and then shook a breath and nodded. “Okay. I’m good.”

“I think we should all sit down and talk,” Maria Hill said calmly.

“We should,” Steve agreed.

Tony allowed Steve to guide him to sit down again as Fury took his seat and leaned back, looking utterly relaxed.

“Why the pretense, Fury?” Steve asked. “You obviously already knew it all already, so why not just say it?”

“Experiment,” Fury said easily. “I wanted to know if you’d tell me the truth yourselves. I wanted us all on the same page.”

“How do you know so much?” Bruce asked. “Are you working for Ross?”

Fury’s face darkened. “No. I came back to a world that I don’t like and that makes no sense to me.”

“You’re not the only one,” Wanda muttered.

Fury nodded. “Exactly. Things happened when I was gone that I didn’t have a chance to stop. I can see more things coming that I don’t like and want to stop.”

“How do you know so much?” Bruce asked. “If you’re not with Ross, how did you see the satellite images?”

“I’ve got an inside man,” Fury said. “I’ve got a team of inside men.”

“SHIELD?” Tony growled.

“In a way. It was those people that intercepted the message from Wakanda.” Fury cracked his knuckles. “You got lucky. We caught that message coming into Washington, but it won’t be the only one. This kid—” he looked around the room as if expecting Peter to appear—“is pure power, and Ross will want that. Right now, he’s working with the hopes that the kid is alive and that he can use him for his own ends because he saw what he did, to use him as a mascot, but if he knew the truth, he’d be even more motivated to get him. Can you imagine what he’d do to a sixteen-year-old malleable kid with that kind of power?” He locked eyes on Tony. “You know weapons, Stark. What do you think he’ll do?”

Steve’s eyes snapped to the right for a second, and a frown furrowed his brow. Tony was sure that meant he could hear Peter, which meant Peter could hear them. What was the kid going through hearing all of this? Tony wanted to be with him, to help, but he wanted to deal with Fury more.

“Peter is not a weapon,” Barnes said fiercely.

Fury stared at him. “You’d know?”

“I would. I was a weapon. Peter could not be more different from The Winter Soldier if he tried. I was everything bad in the world, dangerous, a threat, but Peter is the opposite. He is purely good. He will not be used as a weapon for anyone.”

Tony was surprised by the vehemence in Barnes’ voice, though he agreed with it completely. It was precisely what he’d say about Peter himself if he was asked.

“He might not have a choice,” Fury said.

Tony spoke through gritted teeth. “Ross will not get within a mile of him. We will protect him.”

They all nodded, and Fury looked from face to face before saying, “It’s good to see he’s got you on his side, but this isn’t the Ross you all knew that created Accords and headed up Bio-Tech experiments.”

Bruce flinched, and Tony knew his mind had gone to the days and experiments that had created the Hulk, turning his life upside down, destroying it for a long time.

“He’s President now,” Fury went on. “He is _the_ most powerful person on the planet.”

“He was before Peter,” Sam said darkly.

Fury looked at him. “No matter what those Stones have done to the kid, he’s not a match for Ross if he finds him. He’s got the weight of the law, the military, the whole damn government behind him.”

Tony squeezed his eyes shut and tried to breathe. He’d known Peter was in danger, but he’d thought it was a case of protecting him from Wakanda’s resistance, from Ross turning him into a poster child. But now he was seeing what Ross could do to him. If there was a way to manipulate Peter, he would have a potentially unstoppable weapon on his hands to use. And Ross knew manipulation better than anyone.

How was Tony supposed to protect him from this? Ross wasn’t a threat he could blast out of the way in his suit. He _was_ the President now.

“What do you want. Fury?” Steve asked.

“I want what all sensible people want,” he said. “I want the world safe and the right man in power.”

“Ellis,” Sam stated.

Fury nodded. “Yeah. He’s the right man. I want _you_ to keep that kid away from Ross long enough for us to get Ellis back in his rightful place.” He locked eyes on Tony. “I’m thinking you want the same thing.”

“I want Peter protected,” Tony said. “I don’t care what Ellis is doing.”

“You’re going to have to care,” Maria said, leaning forwards. “You _must_ protect the child.”

Steve’s eyes darted right again, and Tony was sure he was hearing Peter.

“We will protect him,” Barnes said stiffly. “And he will protect himself.”

“He can do that?” Fury asked.

Sam huffed a laugh. “Like you can’t even imagine.”

Tony wondered, though. Peter hadn’t been able to defend himself when W’Kebe as his crony came for him. He could have died. Why hadn’t the Stones protected him from that?

Fury smiled. “Good. Now, we will do our part, work on restoring order, but you need to do something about the Wakanda leak. We can’t intercept every outgoing communication from the place, there’s not enough of us. It was pure luck we caught this one. You do something about that, keep the truth off of Ross’ radar, and we’ll be in touch.”

He got to his feet again and walked towards the door with Maria. Tony stood, too, torn between wanting to follow, to see him gone, and going to help Peter, and then an idea occurred to him, and he spoke up, “Fury!” When the man had turned, he said in a low growl, “Ross isn’t getting his hands on Peter, but neither are you. You’re not turning him into some weapon for you and whatever dregs of SHIELD you’ve gathered.”

Fury smiled, a twisted thing. “Believe me, Stark, I don’t want him. I just want him controlled. I think you people can do that better than me.”

“Peter doesn’t need to be controlled,” Steve said. “He’s not a threat.”

Fury shrugged and carried on out of the room. Tony watched them go, moving to the window to see them climbing into a black truck and turning and driving away.

As soon as they were out of sight, he started across the room to find Peter and Rhodey, but they were already coming in. Peter was pale and his eyes were wide. Tony didn’t hesitate to cross to him and pull him into his arms. Peter was stiff and didn’t return the embrace, just stood with his arms at his sides.

“Yeah, we heard,” Rhodey sighed in response to Tony’s questioning look. “I think Pete _saw_ a good amount of it, too.”

Disturbed by the lack of reaction, Tony pulled back and lifted Peter’s chin so he could look into his eyes and said, “We’re going to protect you, Peter.”

Peter stared at him, his strange eyes contemplative, and then he said, “We have to hide.”

“We will,” Tony assured him. “We’ll find somewhere else to go, somewhere Fury doesn’t know about. It’s going to be okay.”

Peter frowned slightly, and then his eyes became distant. Knowing he was listening to the Stones again, Tony ran his hands over Peter’s hair in a way he hoped was comforting and waited for him to come back.

Peter returned to himself with a swift nod and then said, “We can do it.”

“Do what?” Rhodey asked, calling after him as Peter walked towards the door, “Pete, what are you doing?”

Peter didn’t answer or look at anyone else, he just drifted towards the door as if not aware they were with him.

“Okay,” Barnes said slowly. “I need to see what this is about.”

They all followed Peter outside to the edge of the drive at the approximate point the road spread from the parking lot, a couple dozen feet from the Quinjet, where he was staring blankly into the distance.

“Here?” he said, forming the word as a question.

“Here what?” Rhodey asked tentatively. “Peter, what exactly are you planning?”

It was like Peter didn’t hear him, he just stared blankly and then said, “Stand back,” and raised his hands.

Instead of obeying, Tony moved closer and placed a hand on Peter’s shoulder, “Pete, stop a minute,” he said. “What are you plotting?” He forced a smile into his voice, though he was a little weirded out by this distant version of his kid.

“Hiding us,” Peter said vaguely, and then threw out his arms in a gesture that was almost as if he was pushing something away from him.

Though his hands didn’t make contact, Tony felt himself being thrown back to hit the ground hard, his breath knocked out of him. From the shouts around him, he guessed the others were experiencing the same thing. Something washed over him, a wave of deep red light, and Peter’s name escaped with his first breath as he struggled to sit up.

Peter was standing but wavering, and his hands were still outstretched, and the red light seemed to be coming from him. That was not the most outstanding part of the scene, though. A dozen feet from Peter, where there had been a road, was the edge of a lake that lapped against the asphalt like it was a beach.

“Is it just me, or are we now on an island?” Sam asked, voice breathy.

“It’s not just you,” Steve replied. 

Tony struggled to his feet and approached Peter, who was reeling like he was standing on the deck of a rolling ship. He placed his hand on his back to steady him, feeling Peter’s weight settle against him, and turned his head to face him. He was shocked to see a trickle of blood coming from Peter’s nose, running over his lips to his chin.

“Damn, kid, what did you do?” he asked.

Peter’s bloody lips tugged into a smile, and he said, “We hid us,” before his eyes rolled back.

Tony caught him as he dropped unconscious. He hefted him into his arms, holding his against his chest and pressed his cheek to the kid’s hair for a moment, comforting himself.

He turned to carry him inside and saw Rhodey being helped to his feet by Steve, his face dropping as he took in the scene of Peter cradled unconscious in Tony’s arms.

“What the hell was that, Tony?” Steve asked.

Tony shook his head, “Honestly, I don’t know, but right now I don’t care. Bruce, I need you to check him out.”

Bruce nodded and rushed forwards. He tugged back Peter’s eyelid and checked his pulse. “He seems stable enough,” he said. “I think he’s just exhausted himself. We’ll lie him down, and I’ll see what med equipment they left there.”

Tony carried him inside and laid a boneless Peter onto the couch as Bruce disappeared, looking for whatever counted for a med bay in a place like this, and Rhodey perched on the edge of the couch.

“What was that, Tone?”

Tony stroked Peter’s hair back from his pale face and said, “Apart from the fact he just hid us, which I think we really need now, I have no idea.” He sighed and bowed his head. “And I’m guessing that was the Stones talking, not him, but when he’s back with us, I’m going to find out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… That was Peter’s first real demonstration of power since the snap. What do you think? I was pretty excited about it but also a little nervous. Please let me know your thoughts.   
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He bit his lip and then forced the words out. “It can’t kill me because I can’t die anymore.”  
> Tony pulled back as if someone had hit him, hand flying to his chest and eyes wide. “You what?”  
> Peter ducked his head. “I can’t die, not really. There are options for when it’s time, when I’m old, but as far as actually dying goes, that’s out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so grateful to you all for reading and the support you show me and the story. I cannot tell you how much it means to me to know you're all on this journey with me. I'm sorry this chapter is late. I don't know how I managed to forget posting here. I did on FFnet. 
> 
> Thank you Randomskycolor and Prongs100 for pre-reading.

Peter felt a warm hand pushing back his hair and fingers rubbing into his scalp. It felt nice, something May used to do when he was sick, and he relaxed, leaning into the sensation.

“Hey, you waking up?” a voice said in a tone that he thought was designed to be soothing but didn’t entirely hide the stress in it.

“Hmph,” Peter mumbled.

There was a soft laugh that was laced with relief. “Sounds like it. Can you open your eyes?”

Peter nodded, but his eyes stayed shut.

The voice that had been speaking seemed to change direction, as if it was facing away, and it was stressed now. “How long’s it been?”

“Only an hour,” a voice replied. “And he’s coming round now. Just give him a minute. He expended a massive amount of energy.”

“You _think!_ ” the voice snapped—Peter realized it was Tony talking now, and the other voice was Bruce. “Or he could have blown something wide open in his head. You have no idea really.”

“Calm down, Tony,” Rhodey said. “Bruce says all his stats are good.” His voice came closer. “Pete, do us all a favor and wake up before Tony has a coronary.”

 _‘It’s about time you did,”_ Power’s mocking voice spoke in his head. _‘You’ve napped enough, and they need answers since you didn’t explain anything.”_

“I thought it was more important that I do it,” Peter murmured. “You were all pushing for it.”

“Pushing for what?” Tony asked. “Pete, wake up now.”

 _‘That was me pushing,”_ Reality said. _‘And it was important for you.’_

 _‘You needed to be protected,’_ Soul added.

“When did you all start talking?” Peter groaned, overwhelmed by the new voices chattering.

The fingers in his hair moved to his hand and squeezed. “Come on. Pete, if you can talk to them, you can talk to me.”

Peter knew he was right. He could hear Tony’s stress, and the tension in the room seemed to press down on him in the same way he’d felt souls reaching for him before. He forced his eyes opened then squeezed them shut again as the light blinded him.

“Turn the lights down,” Tony ordered someone, and then he said, “Try again, Pete.”

Peter opened his eyes and found the light had become a manageable level. He was lying on the couch, the dust tickling his nose, and Tony was kneeling beside him. He pushed himself upright and saw Rhodey perched on the arm beside his head and the others gathered around on the other seats.

He forced a smile and said, “Hey.”

Tony sighed shakily and ran his hands through his hair. “Okay, kid, do you remember me saying something about me sitting by your bedside lately?”

Peter’s brow scrunched. “No.”

“You must have been too deeply under for that. Well, the basic point is that I’m sick of it, so if you can stop creating situations which require it, that’d be great.”

Peter smiled slightly, “I’ll do my best.”

Tony got to his feet, stretched his back, and then sat down beside Peter, turning slightly with his knee bent so he was facing Peter.

“How do you feel?” Bruce asked. “Any pain?”

Peter considered carefully, assessing his body. He was tired still, his muscles felt weak and sore, as if he’d strained himself, something that hadn’t happened in all his time as Spider-Man. His head ached, and his stomach was twisting with hunger. He tried to work out how long it had been since he’d eaten. There had been breakfast in Wakanda, but he’d not eaten on the flight as he’d refused the snack the others had as the Stones had been pressing him to speak.

“Hungry,” he said, thinking that was the easiest thing to report when he could already see a lot of strain on their faces.

“I’ll get you something,” Steve said, getting to his feet and going to the bags and coming back a moment later with a package of Pop-Tarts. He tore them open and held them out.

Peter took them from him, bit into one, chewed quickly and swallowed, his stomach gratefully receiving the food, and then lowered it as he noted all eyes on him and said, “Sorry. Uh… anyone want some?”

“We can wait,” Rhodey said with a grin. “Sam will go get us some real food soon.”

“By swimming?” Bucky said with a small smile. “You know we’re on an island, right?”

“No,” Peter said. “Not really. Reality said it was safe for us. The water isn’t real—well, the water in the lake is, but not what we made. And we’re not really here now. We’ve…” He waved a hand. “We moved. He won’t be able to find us now. He can’t even see us with satellites since we’re not technically anywhere.”

Rhodey whistled, “Well, damn… And I thought Wakanda was impressive.”

Peter felt a thrill of stress again that made his heart skip. “It was the only way to be safe.”

“Yeah,” Tony said heavily, his hand moving to Peter’s shoulder and giving him a gentle squeeze. “We will keep you safe, I promise.”

Peter closed his eyes and tried to push down the fear he was feeling. After he’d returned to himself, knocked back by the shock of what he’d heard, he and Rhodey had moved into the hall so they could listen to what was being said. He was scared of Ross, and what he might do to the people he cared about in Ross’ mission to get to him. Peter had so much power, too much, and what would Ross want him to use it for? He just wanted to protect. That was what he’d known he had to do when he’d heard T’Challa talking about him. Now he was going to have to hide.

“It’s okay,” Tony said, and Peter felt a hand brushing the hair back from his face. He opened his eyes and met Tony’s eyes. “You’ll be safe.”

“I know,” Peter lied.

“We’ve already taken steps,” Steve said. “I’ve called T’Challa and he’s got people monitoring communications going out of Wakanda now, and they’re rooting out the resistance. There is no reason Ross should ever know the truth about you.”

“And if he finds out, we’ll deal with it,” Bucky added.

Tony locked eyes with him, looking strangely pleased. Peter had noticed there was tension between them before, though he didn’t know why, but now they almost seemed to be on the same side. Steve looked surprised, too, but also pleased.

“We will,” Tony agreed.

“And since we’re now on an island,” Sam said. “I don’t see _anyone_ getting in ever again. Hell, kid, you knocked it out of the park with that little trick.”

Rhodey chuckled. “And I thought the butterflies were cool.”

“Butterflies?” Steve asked.

“Yeah, I walked in on Peter communing with the Stones in the restroom. He had purple butterflies flying round his head.”

“I was learning,” Peter said. “And Reality said it wouldn’t be too taxing.”

“About that,” Tony said carefully. “We do need to talk about what happened after you did whatever it was you did to hide us.” His eyes became intense. “Did the Stones say anything about why you passed out? Was it the energy?”

Peter nodded. “Yeah, they warned me before, when Reality said what I had to do, that it was going to be hard on me. I guess I should have warned you. They say it’ll get easier when I’m practiced; I’ll build stamina.”

Tony pressed a hand to his temples, eyes averted from Peter as if pained. “Is it dangerous.”

“You mean, am I dangerous?”

“No,” he said quickly. “I know you’re not. I just mean—” He shook his head. “Using that kind of energy, is it dangerous to _you_. Can it hurt you.”

Peter considered his answer carefully. It could hurt him, they’d all been clear on that, and his pounding headache proved their point, but it wasn’t like it could kill him.

 _‘Which they don’t know,’_ Mind pointed out.

“Oh,” Peter said stupidly. “Yeah.” He ran a hand over his face and fixed his eyes on his lap as he said, “It can be painful, and I’ll be tired, but it can’t _hurt_ me seriously since I can’t…” He bit his lip and then forced the words out. “It can’t kill me because I can’t die anymore.”

Tony pulled back as if someone had hit him, hand flying to his chest and eyes wide. “You what?”

Peter shrugged. “I can’t die, not really. There are options for when it’s time, when I’m old, but as far as actually dying goes, that’s out.”

There was absolute silence, and he felt the pressure against his chest again as if the stress was reaching for him. He rubbed the spot over his heart where it was most felt and closed his eyes. They flew open when he heard a soft laugh. His head snapped to the side, and he saw Tony’s broad smile and eyes that were lit in the way Peter saw when he looked at his strange and new rainbow eyes in the mirror.

“Damn,” Tony said, ruffling Peter’s hair. “You kept that to yourself.”

“Yeah, I guess I did,” Peter said, shocked by Tony’s intense happiness and obvious relief.

“Would have been a weight off to know before the whole overdose thing,” Tony went on.

“Sorry,” Peter said, ducking his head.

He felt uncomfortable now. He could understand why Tony would be happy; he guessed it was the opposite reaction to what Peter had felt when he thought of how Tony could have died if he’d snapped. Still, for Peter, it was something too big and too much to think about, even with the relief of knowing it wouldn’t be a permanent goodbye after as he’d be able to see them again. 

Rhodey’s gaze moved between him and Tony, and then he nudged Peter’s shoulder and said, “Come on, kid. You’re dead on your feet. Let’s get you to bed.”

Peter thanked him and got to his feet, but Sam spoke up. “Hang on, I’ve got a question before you crash. We’re protected here, and that’s great, we’re all grateful, but how _do_ we get in and out of this place, since we are going to need to sooner or later.”

“You just drive along the road,” Peter said, brow furrowed.

“The road that leads into a lake?” Sam asked, eyebrow quirked.

Peter huffed a small laugh as he realized how insane it sounded. “The lake is the connection to where we should be. You just walk into it, or drive, I guess, where the road leads, and you’ll come out wherever the boundary was before.”

Rhodey laughed, though that sounded forced, too, and said, “And I can’t be the first to try since I’m a wanted man.” He snapped his fingers, and his face fell into lines of false regret. “Damn.”

Sam scowled at him. “Coward.”

“It really is safe,” Peter assured him, then, with Rhodey’s hand at his back, he walked out of the room and through two doors and a hall into his bedroom, which was more spacious than Peter had expected it to be when Rhodey had first shown it to him.

Peter staggered to the large bed in the center and flopped down onto it, his head pressed into the pillows.

“You want to get under the covers?” Rhodey asked.

“No,” Peter whispered. “Too tired.”

Rhodey patted his back and said, “Give me a second.”

Though Peter’s eyes were closed, he felt Rhodey’s presence recede by the lightening on his chest and then his return. He felt something laid over him and tucked into his shoulders, then a soft squeeze to his shoulder.

“Get some sleep,” he said.

“Thanks,” Peter murmured. 

There was a pause, and then Rhodey said, voice gentle, “Tony is happy because he cares about you, Pete. He doesn’t see it the same way you do, what the impact of that is.”

Peter raised his head slightly and cracked his eyes open. “How do you see it?”

Rhodey sighed. “For me, I see it as something great, a relief with what I know you’re going to be doing with those Stones, but I can imagine what kind of weight it is on you, and I am sorry for it.”

Peter slumped back against the pillow and closed his eyes. “Thanks, Rhodey.”

Rhodey might have replied, but Peter was already asleep.

xXx

When Rhodey came back, his face was grave, which surprised Tony as he was feeling great with the amazing news he’d gotten.

“Out like a light,” Rhodey said, sinking down onto the couch. “Poor kid’s exhausted.”

“Unsurprisingly,” Bruce said. “To harness that kind of energy to achieve a warping of reality like that is incredible. And it’s not even a warping, is it?” He rubbed his chin. “If he’s right, he’s moved us outside of reality altogether. Incredible.”

Steve nodded. “It’s definitely a big thing, but it’s also worrying.”

Rhodey frowned. “Worrying how?”

“He’s an enhanced individual, we all know that, but he’s still basically human. It’s a lot of pressure to put on a body and mind.”

“He can’t die,” Wanda pointed out, voice quiet.

“Yep,” Tony said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Which is damn…” He whistled. “Wow!”

The relief he felt was immense. He had been so worried about Peter, after almost losing him twice so recently and actually being without him for five years. To know that would never happen was everything. He felt like he could breathe freely at last.

“It’s not amazing to him,” Rhodey said quietly.

All eyes snapped to him, and Wanda said, “Why not?”

Rhodey’s brow furrowed. “He’s sixteen-years-old. Think what he’s already seen and suffered in his life. He won’t die, but Tony will, I will. Every single person he knows will.” He fixed his grave eyes on Tony. “Can you imagine knowing that you would one day lose everyone you love and there would never be an end for you? He is _never_ going to die. He will live forever, thanks to the Stones, and within a matter of decades, everyone he loves right now will be gone.”

Tony flopped back, hand coming to this chest where the arc reactor had been, almost feeling that old hum of it against his palm. “Oh.” He felt a shiver run down his spine. “He’ll have no one.”

“Exactly. He said there are options when he’s old, so we know he will age, not be a kid forever, but that brings a whole new problem. Will he just keep aging?” He pressed a hand to his forehead, digging his fingernails into his skin. “What is he going to look like in two-hundred years?”

“Oh God,” Steve breathed.

“Vis was the same,” Wanda said, her voice a mere whisper. “He didn’t like to talk about it much, but I know it scared him, too. He wouldn’t have aged, but he would have been left behind one day. Not much scared him, but that did.”

Bruce placed a large hand on her arm and gave it a small squeeze.

She shook her head briskly. “I can’t even imagine what he’s going through, and I don’t know what to say to him, since I never knew what to say to Vis, but I don’t think describing this as a positive is going to help him.” Her eyes fell on Tony with an expectant look.

Tony sighed. “Yeah, I got the message.”

He couldn’t help but see the positive for him, though, which he knew was selfish. He couldn't help it, though. He loved Peter and wanted him safe and happy—to live. If he could be with him forever, if there was a chance, he’d take it in a heartbeat for him or Morgan.

“Morgan,” he whispered, face falling as a horrible idea occurred to him.

“What about her?” Steve asked.

“He’ll lose her, too,” Tony whispered. “She’s four, a kid, and he’s her brother, but he’ll… God!”

He swallowed hard at the realization of his child’s mortality. He’d never thought of it—why would he when the natural order was that he’d be the one that would go first, and she was so young and so full of life?—but one day Peter wouldn’t even have her.

He felt a crushing weight in his chest, and he planted his hands on his knees and tried to breathe through it. It was hard, and the hand he felt falling on his back at Rhodey’s voice murmuring reassurances didn’t help. He couldn’t get enough air, and he could feel the eyes of the room pressing in on him. He squeezed his own closed and clamped his teeth together.

“Give us a minute,” Rhodey said, and Tony heard movement and footsteps as the room emptied.

“Okay, Tones,” Rhodey said, voice firm. “You’re going home.”

Tony’s eyes snapped open, and he stared at his friend incredulously. _“What?”_

“You need to get out of here,” he said. “Go see Pepper and Morgan, give yourself a break. I’ll stay here with Pete. Maybe you can get some stuff for us to make this place a little more comfortable, go on a shopping spree. Hell, take Morgan with you. Just get out of here and spend time with your family.”

“I can’t leave Peter,” Tony said.

“You can,” Rhodey said firmly. “Let me take care of him for a while. You both need this space. You’ve got to wrap your head around what’s going on so you can go through it with Pete when you come back.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m making an executive decision, Tone. Pepper and Morgan need you, and you and Peter need time apart. Steve said Pepper called him when you were attacked. Think of what’s she’s going through right now. There are trucks in the garage you can use. Stock up for us. It’s what Peter needs.”

Tony frowned, realizing now that his breaths had returned to normal and his mind cleared. Rhodey had managed to distract him from his panic somehow, and he’d framed it the way he knew would reach him—making it about what Peter needed.

He huffed a laugh. “You’re good, you know that, right?”

Rhodey nodded. “I do, and it’s about time you saw it, too.” He patted his shoulder. “Go see your family, Tony.”

Tony nodded, unable to resist the urge to see his daughter now he felt her absence most keenly. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Rhodey shrugged. “If that’s what you need, sure, but don’t worry if you need longer. We’re going to be okay here.”

He got to his feet. “I’ll just say goodbye to Pete.”

Rhodey stood and steered him away. “Peter is sleeping. I’ll tell him what’s going on when he wakes up. You can go test out the whole driving-into-a-lake thing, save Sam the stress. You can swim, right?”

Tony snorted. “Like a damn dolphin.”

Rhodey patted him on the back. “Good to know. The garage is out back. Pick a big one since I’m sending you a hell of a shopping list.”

“Throw pillows and face packs for you and Steve?”

Rhodey laughed. “No, I was thinking more of a PlayStation and stock of DVDs. We’ve got a kid living with us now, don’t forget, and kids need entertaining. Way Pete is, we’re going to need all the distractions we can find.”

Tony nodded. He knew Rhodey was right. With the Stones making their presence known, setting Peter up to do things like create new realities for them, it was going to be down to them to make sure he had more in his life than that.

As powerful as Peter was, as committed to this mission to protect, Tony was going to make sure he took time to be a kid, too, and maybe that would help him deal with his new insight into immortality.

Perhaps it would help Tony, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… Now they know. Do you think Tony’s reaction was believable? I tried to put myself in his position and I saw the positives, too. And we’ll have some Morgan time in the next chapter which I know some of you have been waiting for.   
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Momma said Peter’s a hero, but I can’t tell anyone because it’s secret.” She lowered her voice. “She says he saved the world.” Her brow furrowed. “Was the world sick? Is that how he saved it?”  
> “The world was having a little trouble,” Tony said carefully. “There was a bad man, but Peter made him go away, and now he can never come back. No one bad can come. But it really is a secret.”   
> She nodded. “Momma says you were a hero, too.”  
> Tony huffed a laugh. “If I was, your momma was, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading and supporting the story. This is a lighter one with some Morgan time and a trip to Walmart.   
> Thank you Randomskycolor and Prongs100 for pre-reading.   
> Thank you to Your uwu slave for the review that prompted me to post.

Tony pulled the truck he’d taken from the base outside his house and cut the engine as the door flew open, and Pepper’s puzzled face morphed into a smile as she caught sight of him behind the wheel.

He was out in a moment, running towards her in the next, and she rushed across the porch, down the steps, and into his arms. He gripped her tight, drawing in deep breaths of the combined smell of her lilac perfume and honey shampoo, and just let himself feel the moment. He’d missed her so much, and there had been so many times he’d wished she was there to help take on the load of everything he was going through with the skill and strength she always had. Now she was in his arms, and he felt as though the weight that had been on his shoulders since the battlefield had lifted at last.

“God, Tony,” she breathed in his ear and then pulled back, hands on his face. “I was so worried. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he said. “Really, everything’s—“

He cut off as her lips slammed into his in a hard kiss, and then they parted the merest amount, and she whispered, her breath tickling his lips, “I love you.”

Tony hugged her again, burying his face in her neck.

They clung to each other for an indeterminable time, and then both pulled back in perfect synchronicity and smiled.

“It’s good to be home,” he said.

She stroked his face with a warm hand. “It’s good to have you home. We’ve missed you.”

Tony smiled. “I missed you, too, and I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner, but Peter—”

She pressed a finger to his lips. “He needed you more, I know that, and I didn’t begrudge you a minute with him. I was worried about him, too. I saw Steve carry him through that portal, saw your face as you followed, and I knew where you needed to be. How is he?”

Tony shook his head. “That’s a really long story. God, Pep, I’ve got so much to tell you. And I will. But I need to see my girl first. How is she?”

“Hyperactive as ever, missing her Daddy and mad that she’s not seen her brother yet.” She laughed. “Tell me she’s going to see him soon because there are only so many tantrums that I can take in a day.”

“I’m working on it,” Tony said. “But Pete’s not ready yet. It’s all so damn complicated.”

“I bet,” she said. “She’s sleeping, but if she finds out you’re here and she’s not seen you… Well, like I said, I’ve handled too many tantrums already. Go see her.”

Tony pecked her on the lips and darted into the house, up the stairs, and to his daughter’s bedroom. He stood in the doorway for a moment, just absorbing the sight of her, her brown curls spread over the pillow and her rosebud lips pursed around the thumb in her mouth, a habit that Pepper was trying to break but Tony had patience with since his own thumb sucking habit had been broken by his father, which it hadn’t been a gentle process. Clamped to her chest was the stuffed toy Rhodey had brought her, which was apparently her latest favorite of the many she owned. It was a rolling preference from the many she had to choose from, which was, according to Pepper, entirely down to him and his first shopping trip for her—a fond memory in which he’d stacked a cart in Toy Zone with everything he could imagine his brand new baby ever wanting.

He crossed the room and perched on the side of the bed, running a finger over her soft cheek. “Hey, Maguna,” he whispered.

Her brow scrunched, and her thumb slipped out of her mouth. “Breakfast time?” she asked drowsily, eyes blinking slowly. “Pancakes?”

Tony chuckled. “Not breakfast yet. It’s still bedtime.”

Her eyes opened fully and fixed on him. He saw confusion quickly replaced with happiness as drowsiness seemed to abandon her, and she said, “Daddy!” She scrambled up and climbed onto his lap, her small arms wrapping around his neck with a monkey-like cling. “You came home!”

“I did, baby girl,” she said, rubbing her back. “I missed my best girls.”

She squeezed him tighter and then released him and looked into his eyes, her own bright and eager. “Did you bring my brother, too?”

Tony’s smile fell. “No, Peter’s got to stay somewhere else for a while, and Daddy will have to go back to him again, but I’m here now for lots of hugs.”

“Can I come with you?” she asked.

“Not just yet. Soon, though, I promise.”

She pouted. “That’s not fair.”

“No,” he agreed. “It’s not, but Peter is still very tired and needs lots of sleep before he’ll be ready for the full force of Maguna on a mission. As soon as he is, though, you’ll see him.”

She seemed to consider it for a moment. “Is he sick? I sleep lots when I’m sick. Momma makes me chicken noodle soup. Have you made him chicken noodle soup?” Her rapid flow of words cut off, and she looked at him expectantly.

“You know what, I’ve not made him soup yet, but I will. He’s not sick, he’s just very, very tired because he did something very special and important.”

It was easier to explain Peter as being tired—which he definitely was right now—rather than still too unsure of himself and his power to see her. Tony knew he would never hurt Morgan or anyone else, but Peter needed time to believe that, too.

Morgan nodded. “Momma said Peter’s a hero, but I can’t tell anyone because it’s secret.” She lowered her voice. “She says he saved the world.” Her brow furrowed. “Was the world sick? Is that how he saved it?”

“The world was having a little trouble,” Tony said carefully. “There was a bad man, but Peter made him go away, and now he can never come back. No one bad can come. But it really is a secret.”

She nodded. “Momma says you were a hero, too.”

Tony huffed a laugh. “If I was, your momma was, too. She helped Peter save the world. All of Daddy’s friends did.”

She stared at him for a moment and then shrugged and yawned. “That’s good.”

“You’re tired,” he said, internally scolding himself for waking her. “You should go back to sleep. I’ll still be here in the morning.”

“I’m not tired,” she said, an obvious lie as her excitement at their reunion was defeated by weariness.

“You are,” Tony said. “And if you don’t sleep, you won’t be awake to eat pancakes in the morning. I’ll make them for you myself.”

“Minnie Mouse shapes?” she asked.

“Can they be Mickey?” he asked. “Minnie’s bow is hard to do.”

“Okay,” she said. “Mickey. With strawberry syrup and chocolate chips?”

Tony eased her off his lap and laid her down, tugging the blankets over her. “If Momma hasn’t hidden the chocolate chips, we can have them. But you know she hides then so she can eat them all herself because she’s a chocolate monster.”

Morgan giggled. “Yeah, Monster-Momma.” She yawned again. “Will you stay with me?”

“Of course,” Tony said.

“All night?” she asked hopefully.

“I can’t stay all night because I need to see Momma, too, but I’ll stay until you fall asleep. Move over.”

She wriggled over and snuggled under the blankets as Tony climbed into the small bed beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and smiling as her head settled on his chest.

“Can you tell me a story?” she asked.

“Sure,” Tony said, knowing she’d soon drift off it he was reading to her. “What one. The Caterpillar book?”

“No, I want a Spider-Peter story.”

Tony found himself smiling. “Okay, a Peter story, which one?”

“Any,” she said, closing her eyes and clamping her thumb in her mouth again and then corrected, her words slightly garbled, “One with a cat.”

Tony chuckled. “I’ve got lots of them. Peter likes cats. Hmmm…” He closed his own eyes and called to mind just one of the reports Happy had gotten on a voicemail in the early days of his relationship with Peter, the voicemails he’d listened to and laughed at. “There was this old lady called Mrs. Gopesetti, that had a cat called Chloe that liked to climb trees. The problem was Chloe wasn’t good at getting down again, so Peter had to climb up to get her down…”

He told her the story as he remembered Peter reporting it, including the fact the cat has scratched him on the way out of the tree, but before he’d reached the part about Mrs. Gopesetti buying him a churro as a reward, his daughter was fast asleep, nestled against him.

He watched her for a moment, the soft lines of her face that were so like Pepper’s, though his genes had their way in her hair and eyes, and thought he’d stay just a little longer with his daughter before going to his wife. 

xXx

When Tony got downstairs, Pepper was sitting on the couch with her legs curled under her and a glass of wine in her hand. She leaned over to the table and poured one for him, which he took as he sank down next to her and breathed a deep, contented sigh.

“Thanks,” he said, sipping it and feeling the cool, crisp taste slip over his tongue.

“It looked like you needed it,” she said.

“I did,” Tony agreed. “But that’s a topic for another day.”

She laughed softly. “Tony, honey, it’s a topic for today. I know you’ve had a lot going on, and it’s been hard, but I’ve been here without knowing everything that was going on with any of you. You’re finally here, there’s no great crisis, so you’ve got to tell me what’s going on so I can quit with the wild speculations.”

“Sorry. I should have told you more, I know. Things were crazy, though, and I didn’t want you to worry.”

She pushed back her hair with a small laugh. “Did you really think I wasn’t already worried? I saw what Peter did, I saw you flying through the air and disappearing, then you were back and following Peter and Steve through that portal, and then I was in the dark. You hardly told me anything when you called. What exactly happened in Wakanda?” She frowned. “And why haven’t Peter and Morgan met yet? Why haven’t _I_ seen him? What’s holding you back?"

“It’s not me,” he said. “It’s Pete.” He took a large swig of wine, then set the glass down and ran his hands over his face. “Okay. What happened… Well, once we got to Wakanda and they were working on Peter, we found his hand and arm had been trashed by the Stones when he snapped. The burns were horrific. He would have lost the hand if not for Helen Cho. She was able to recreate the tissue he’d lost, which was a lot. He’s all healed now.”

“That’s good,” she said with palpable relief. “But if it now because he doesn’t want to freak her out with wounds, why is he holding back on meeting Morgan?”

“Because he's scared,” Tony sighed. “The Stones didn’t just disappear after the snap; they moved.” He drew a deep breath. “They moved into Peter. He has the Stones inside him now.”

She stared at him blankly. “They’re in him? What does that mean?”

“It means he’s got a lot of power, at least that’s a part of it—probably the smallest part when it comes down to it. They’re actually sentient, Pep. They talk to him. He can use them.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “He _wants_ to use them. He’s got it into his head that he can be some kind of protector of the world thanks to T’Challa. Already he’s done…” He whistled. “The place we’re staying, it’s by Avalanche Lake, or it was. Peter used the Reality Stone—or the Stone used him—to protect the place, which apparently means he’s moved us out of our reality. It looks like we’re on an island now, but you can get in and out by literally driving into the lake. You get this feeling that’s kinda like bad turbulence, and then you’re driving along a back road to highway nine.” He huffed a laugh. “I had to drive right into the water.”

Pepper blew out a breath, and he thought it was in reaction to what he’d said about the drive, but she caught him off guard when she said, “How is he even handling that amount of pressure. If he wants to protect the world, he’s got to be feeling the weight of the world. And he’s so young.”

“I know,” Tony said heavily. “And I don’t think he is handling it, not really. Things have been nonstop since this started. We didn’t even have a couple days after he was released from the hospital until he was back in there after being attacked. Then we got to the new place and Fury showed up.” He squeezed his eyes closed and took a deep breath. “Ross wants Peter, and he doesn’t even know the half of it. He just wants him since he knows it was Peter than snapped, but news came out of Wakanda about the Stones, Peter’s power, and it _almost_ reached Ross. Fury blocked it, and T’Challa is dealing with it now, stopping it happening again, but…”

“Ross will want that power,” Pepper said quietly.

“He will. He’ll want to use him, and I know Peter is scared of it. Hell, I’m scared of it. Peter can protect himself, I know, but he couldn’t stop himself being attacked in Wakanda and overdosed, though I don’t know why. If Ross comes for him and gets hold of him. Pep, it’ll be us against the entire US government and all their power. And I can’t…”

Pepper stared at him a moment, her eyes wide and wet, and then she pulled him towards her, tucking his face into her neck, and said, “I know.”

“It just keeps coming,” Tony said, his words muffled against her skin. “And then he was hiding us, which knocked him unconscious again.”

“That poor boy,” she said, her voice pained.

Tony pulled back and looked at her. “And I messed up. After Fury left and his hid us, which was out of this world, he dropped a bomb that I didn’t handle it right. He told us he can’t die.”

She sucked in a breath. “He can’t _die_!”

“No. The Stones have basically made him immortal. I don’t know quite how it works, or why, but I think he’ll age still, but death…” he snapped his fingers, “that’s out. And when he told us. I was happy. You know I lost him, he just turned to ash in my arms on that damn planet, and when I got him back, it was like a miracle. Then he snapped, and I thought he was dead, he came through, though, and then some asshole tried to kill him with an overdose. I just saw the good—that I’d never have to worry about losing him again, he’d always be there, and he was not on the same page.”

“Of course he wasn’t,” she said, her brow pinched. “He’s sixteen.”

Tony held up a hand. “Rhodey already gave me that talk, I know what I was missing. I messed up big.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I _keep_ messing up for the kid.”

Pepper patted his shoulder and said, “Tony, you’re doing your best, and I’m sure Peter knows that. It’s not really a surprise you saw the good in it. I know what it cost you to lose him, and selfishly, I’m happy I won’t have to see you go through that again.”

“But we don’t get to be selfish, do we?” he asked.

Pepper shifted closer and pulled his hand down from his face, stopping him digging his fingers into his temples, and said, “Here, at home with me, you can be selfish about it. Let yourself feel the good it in here and now. I am, too. If you let yourself now, you will be able to see it from his point of view when you’re with him again.”

Tony stared at her for a long moment, feeling his lips curve into a wide smile that didn’t stop him from feeling a pang of guilt. “I won’t lose him, Pep,” he said.

She beamed at him. “No, you won’t. You’ll never lose him again.”

Tony’s head fell back against the couch, and his eyes fell closed as the sense of joy and relief coursed through him. He would make this the time and place for this happiness, to relief, and he would be the support Peter needed when he was there.

But for now, with Pepper curling against his side and leaning her head against his chest, he let himself feel good about the fact he would never lose his son again.

Not unless Ross came at least…

xXx

“Pink,” Morgan announced.

“No,” Tony said firmly, plucking the throw pillow out of her hand and putting it back on the shelf and picking up a blue one.

“Boys can like pink,” she informed him, her small arms crossed over her chest and jaw jutting out in a way that Pepper said came from her Stark side—but Tony knew the Potts family also had a streak of stubbornness.

“They can,” he agreed. “But Peter’s not a pink guy. Trust me, he’ll prefer blue.” Morgan pouted and then skipped off down the aisle and stroked her fingers over the blankets on offer.

Tony watched her for a moment and then grabbed a pink cushion from the shelf and tossed it into the cart.

“You just said…” Pepper started.

“It’s not for Peter,” Tony said with a smirk. “It’s for Rhodey’s room. Since he left me in charge of soft furnishings and being the first to drive headlong into a lake, he can deal with my color scheme.”

Pepper rolled her eyes. “You’re such a toddler sometimes.”

“And yet you love me,” he said smugly.

“Yeah, more fool me,” she said, hurrying up the aisle to catch a squealing Morgan who was making her way around the corner and out of sight.

Tony grabbed blue blankets for Peter’s room, lilac for Rhodey, and a stock of white and grey for the others that they could divvy up amongst themselves.

The cart was already pretty full, and he’d not reached the technology section yet. He might have to leave this one out of the way and get another—as he already had done four times before.

He might have gone a bit overboard with the stuff he’d brought, but he wanted to make that place home for Peter—for them all—and that meant facing the horror that was Walmart with a four-year-old.

For Morgan’s part, she’d been happy to shop, even though Pepper had made it clear it wasn’t the usual toy store splurge with her daddy she was used to. She’d seemed eager to get stuff for her brother, though, which pleased Tony.

The easy way she spoke about Peter, as if she’d known him all her life and this was just a short absence between them, warmed his heart. He knew Peter was going to love her when he met her, though he wasn’t sure when that would happen. Rhodey had texted him a shopping list with a note that said Peter had slept late and was hanging out with Steve while Sam and Bucky worked on breakfast for them all. Tony had resisted the urge to call him to talk to Peter himself, but he wasn’t sure Rhodey would put him on the line if he tried. Besides, he would be back there later and able to see for himself.

Morgan had been surprisingly understanding when Tony told her he was only staying one day as he needed to check on Peter. She’d just elicited a promise that he would come back again soon and accepted it. It was strange as a she had been technically only child all her life, and the sole focus of his and Pepper’s total adoration, she was readily accepting of needing to share her father was someone else. That _had_ to be Pepper’s nature coming out, since Tony had apparently proven he wasn’t good at sharing lately if the statement from Rhodey and hints from the others were anything to go by.

Pepper came back with Morgan clinging to her arm and swinging her feet, and said, “You nearly done?”

Tony looked at the cart. “Uh, maybe. I’ve got to get some entertainment stuff, still, but I think the bedrooms are taken care of. Can you think of anything I forgot?”

She raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know, does this place have a kitchen sink or do you need one of them, too?”

Morgan giggled and imitated her mother’s tone. “Yeah, Daddy, do you need one of them, too?”

Tony laughed softly. “No, it’s got a sink, but I might need to upgrade the TV we got. It’s not _that_ big.”

Morgan’s eyes widened. “Can I pick?”

“No,” Pepper said. “If you’ve got a TV, you don’t need another. I know you like to go big, Tony, but you don’t want to overwhelm Peter. He’s not going to care how big the TV is.” She tugged his arm. “Let’s go stock you up on video games.”

“Peter gets to play video games?” Morgan asked, lip pooching out. “I don’t get to play video games.”

“You play games all the time,” Pepper reminded her.

“Nahuh,” Morgan said. “Tic-tac-toe isn’t a game.”

“It is so a game. And you play it with Friday,” Tony reminded her. “Not every kid has their own AI interface to play games with.”

“Max plays Mario Kart,” she said. “He told me so.”

Tony grumbled. Max was a kid she’d met at the pre-school Pepper had insisted Tony let her attend—something about being well-rounded socially—and the kid seemed to have everything in life Morgan wasn’t allowed.

Personally, Tony didn’t think there was any problem with letting her play a few video games, but Pepper said they would make her too competitive too young. Tony figured she was already doomed to being competitive with him and Pepper as parents, but he bowed to Pepper's wishes and backed the rules. Besides, Morgan seemed just as happy to work with him in the garage on the tech he was teaching her.

“Max is a spoiled brat,” Tony muttered.

Pepper slapped his arm and hissed, _“Tony!”_ before saying, “Everyone’s different, honey, and Max’s parents get to decide what he can do while we decide what you can do.”

She frowned. “Then who decides what Peter can do? Is he old enough to decide himself?” She looked hopeful. “Will I be old enough to decide soon, too?”

“Daddy and Peter decide together,” Pepper said when Tony failed to answer.

He was thinking how much easier his life would be if he was the one that got to decide what Peter did. He’d have nixed the idea of using the Stones from the very beginning, he’d have gotten Peter confident with living with them without using them, then he’d have stuck him back in school. He was pretty sure that was impossible now with Peter’s commitment to protect and need to be concealed. He had two children that he loved, but one of them was much harder to parent than the other.

Morgan seemed to consider than, and then she nodded and said, “Okay, but can I pick the games Peter gets to play since he’s not here to _decide_ for himself?”

“Absolutely,” Pepper said. “Lead the way.”

Morgan grabbed her arm and towed her away along the aisle, around the corner, and Tony followed at a more sedate pace, occasionally grabbing things from the shelves that he thought Peter might like and tossing them into the cart.

He caught up with them in the middle of the video game aisle where Morgan was grabbing at the cases with abandon, saying, “This one, and this one, and I like the dinosaur on this one so he can have it, too.”

Pepper watched her with a fond smile, and Tony went to help unload her arms so she could grab more. If Peter felt overwhelmed with the amount of stuff he was bringing back, he’d have the solid excuse that it wasn’t him that had chosen them. 

Morgan held up a box with a small frown and said, “Daddy, why do they have your special face on this?”

Tony moved closer and examined the box. Displayed as Lego characters was him and the other Avengers in full costume and an apparent state of warfare. “When did they come up with this?” he asked Pepper. “And who gave them permission?”

She smiled impishly. “Technically, I did. The Avengers franchise started after New York. I guess it’s going through a resurgence. How did you not know about this sooner?”

“I don’t play video games, Pep,” he reminded her. “And I definitely don’t play with Lego.” He turned the box and examined the pictures on the back. “There’s a Loki Lego? Isn’t that in bad taste? Hell, Steve’s on this, too, and he’s a criminal.”

“He was,” she reminded him. “He’s not anymore. Not even Ross will be able to prosecute after you all saved the world.” She patted his cheek. “You’re going to have to get used to seeing your face all over the place again.”

“On Lego,” Tony said scathingly.

Pepper nodded. “Yep.”

“Is Daddy Lego?” Morgan asked. “Can I play with him?”

Pepper bent down and stroked a hand over her daughter’s hair. “Absolutely. You can have your own little superhero daddy to play with.”

Morgan beamed. “Is there a superhero Peter, too? A Spider-Peter one?”

“Afraid not,” Pepper said.

Morgan scuffed her heel. “That’s not fair.”

“It’s not,” Pepper agreed. “All the biggest heroes should have toys, shouldn’t they? But I don’t think Peter would want one.” She glanced up at Tony, who shook his head.

Rhodey said Ross wanted Peter, and if he got hold of him, kids’ toys with his suit on them would be the least of their troubles. If they were lucky, Ross would want to turn Peter into a poster child the way Rhodey thought. Either way, it wasn’t happening. Ross was going nowhere near Peter. He couldn’t do much to protect his kid anymore, not from danger or what he would do to himself with the Stones, but he would keep him safe from Ross and his now even more powerful cronies.

Tony would make sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… Some Tony and Morgan time. Some Tony and Pepper time. How much are you all missing Peter? We’ll be back with him in the next chapter.   
> Prongs100 had an issue with the fact Tony went to Walmart without being mobbed. I didn’t want him to have the place shut down as I thought that would be pretty assholeish and I wanted to show him with his family doing something normal in his ‘retirement’. If it doesn’t work for you, too, I apologize, but I liked it. We’ll just pretend people are being respectful of him and his family’s privacy.  
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No! Stop!” Peter shouted, hands flying to his face.   
> The scene disappeared, and he found himself back in the living room, Wanda now sitting at his side with one hand pressed to her mouth and the other reaching for his arm and then falling to her side again.   
> “I’m sorry,” she whispered.   
> “No,” he said again, shaking his head and brushing the tears away. “It’s okay. I just…” He drew a hitching breath.   
> Peter had thought he knew pain, he’d seen and done a lot in his life, and suffered losses, but the pain he’d felt in that scene, as his—Wanda’s—powers were turned on the man he—she—wanted to protect at all costs, was different to any of it. It was pure heartbreak and guilt as she killed the person she loved more than anything in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the support you’re showing this story. It means so much to me that so many of you are enjoying it enough to comment, kudos, bookmark and subscribe to my little world. I am having so much fun with this series and whenever I need a little encouragement to keep writing, I look at the stats and remind myself that you’re waiting for more.

Peter turned the page of the book he was reading, and his eyes traced the first line. He was reading an article Bruce had written on a study he’d done of quantum effects in sub-atomic particles, and it was fascinating.

“Peter?”

Wanda appeared in the space between the living area and kitchen, two mugs in her hand. He was surprised to see her as they didn’t really spend much time together, and never alone; she kept to herself mostly. She looked sad today, as she often was, and oddly nervous.

“Hey,” he said with a smile.

She came further into the room and held out one of the mugs. “I made you a coffee,” she said. “I thought you might like one.”

“I would,” Peter said easily, receiving it and taking a sip. “Thank you.”

The truth was, coffee made him jittery—May had always said it only added to his usual abundance of energy and ramped up his speech a few more notches—but it was the first real gesture she’d made towards him apart from soft smiles, so he was pleased.

She sat down beside him and curled her legs up, making herself small.

“Are you okay?” he asked, taking a sip of coffee to be polite.

“I’m…” She bit her lip. “I wanted to ask you something, but I don’t want to overstep or hurt you.”

Peter leaned forward and set his mug down and then twisted on his seat to face her fully. “You won’t be overstepping, no matter what you ask.” He spread his arms. “I’m an open book.”

She bit her lip and said, “How does the connection work between you and the Stones?”

“Oh, it’s kinda complicated.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I mean, you know they talk to me, and sometimes I go to them to talk so I can see them all at once.”

“How much do they know?” she asked.

Peter frowned. “Technically, everything, I guess. They’re kinda endless and aware of everything. What sort of thing do you mean?”

She averted her eyes from him and said, “What about Mind? Does he read thoughts?”

“Oh,” Peter said. “Well, he reads my mind in a way, and I have seen… stuff… with Soul, and I think he’s part of it, when the circumstances were right.” He didn’t want to admit that he had seen Tony’s memory of the wormhole.

“What about when he was with Vision? Could he read his mind?”

 _‘Yes,’_ Mind whispered. _‘I saw it all.’_

Peter shifted uncomfortably and said, “Yeah, he says he could.”

Her eyes widened and filled with tears. “Oh.”

“Is there something you wanted to know?” Peter asked awkwardly. “I could ask.”

She wiped at her wet face. “I don’t want to hurt you, and what I want to know might do that.”

Peter’s face fell. “I don’t want to hurt you either, but if there’s something you need to know, maybe it will help instead. Don’t worry about me. Talking to them is fine, and if there’s something I can do to help you, I want to do it.

Wanda forced a smile and said, “You’re very kind.” She took a deep breath, and Peter felt a warmth in his chest that he recognized from when he’d seen into Tony’s mind.

He pressed his hand over his heart and said urgently, “No. Stop!”

 _‘She’s reaching,’_ Soul whispered.

“Stop what?” Wanda asked. 

Peter pressed down harder and focused on not slipping into her mind as he said, “There’s something the Stones do, and they’re doing it now. It means I will see something, something personal you remember, I think, and if you don’t want me to see it, I’ve got to walk away.”

“Is it what I am thinking now?” she asked, a strangely understanding look on her face, though Peter supposed with her powers she would be able to relate to someone sharing her mind better than anyone.

He nodded, half rising, “Should I go?”

“No,” she said. “You can see.”

Peter lowered himself down and whispered, “Okay,” then slipped into the scene.

He was with Mind—no, _Vision_ —who was kneeling in front of him, his eyes wide and intense. There were the sounds of fighting around him, but his attention was on Vision. He could feel the tension in his muscles as Vision gripped his hand and said, “Wanda, it’s time.”

He fixed gaze eyes on him, jaw set with determination but eyes prickling as the refusal was punched out of him. “No.”

“They can't stop him, Wanda, but we can. Look at me. You have the power to destroy the stone.”

Peter had the power— _Wanda did_ —but in no world could they use it against the man she loved. Peter felt her pain as if it was his own because, in that moment, he was Wanda. This was her world, her grief, he was getting an insight into, and the Stones were making it his, too.

”Don't,” he said.

Vision brought his hand to his cheek, and his fingers cupped it, Wanda’s longing to touch undeniable, even on the battlefield where so many were in so much danger. “You must do it. Wanda. Please. We are out of time.” Each word was said emphatically, reaching into them and twisting Wanda’s heart like an iron fist.

“I can't.”

His eyes fixed on them, and Peter felt them like his gaze was the sun, warming them. “Yes, you can. You can. If he gets the stone, half the Universe dies.

“It's not fair,” he said, every inch of Wanda’s body and mind rebelling at the idea.

“It shouldn't be you, but it is. It's all right. You could never hurt me. I just... feel you.”

His words settled in Peter’s mind, and the sounds of battle around them dimmed. He knew there was no choice. It was the only way, even though it was going to kill him— _kill Wanda_ —to do it.

He extended a trembling hand, and the pulse and heat of energy spread from his palm as it beamed into the Mind Stone. Thanos came, and he sent power at them both, enough —the Stone shattered. A searing pain shot through his as heart as it shattered into pieces, and Vision’s peaceful face fixed in his mind, seared there, and he knew he would never be able to close his eyes again without seeing it.

“No! Stop!” he shouted, hands flying to his face.

The scene disappeared, and he found himself back in the living room, Wanda now sitting at his side with one hand pressed to her mouth and the other reaching for his arm and then falling to her side again.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“No,” he said again, shaking his head and brushing the tears away. “It’s okay. I just…” He drew a hitching breath.

Peter had thought he knew pain, he’d seen and done a lot in his life, and suffered losses, but the pain he’d felt in that scene, as his— _Wanda’s_ —powers were turned on the man he— _she_ —wanted to protect at all costs, was different to any of it. It was pure heartbreak and guilt as she killed the person she loved more than anything in the world.

“I’m sorry,” he choked. “I’m so sorry you had to do that. Wanda…”

She wiped at her face, and this time she did touch him, her hand squeezing his. “I’m sorry you saw it.”

Peter drew two deep breaths, trying to remind himself that he was safe, he hadn’t killed Vision himself. It was Wanda’s pain, her sacrifice and loss. “What did you want to know?” he asked.

“No!” she said quickly “I don’t need to ask. I’ve already hurt you enough.”

Peter smiled slightly. “Nothing you can ask is going to hurt me more than that, and if there’s something I can do to even start to ease the pain I felt, your pain, I’ll do it.”

She stared at him for a moment and then averted her eyes and said, “I need to know if I… Did I hurt him?” she whispered.

The answer came at once, whispered by Mind and repeated by Peter. “No, Wanda, he felt nothing but you. There’s was no pain at all. There was only love.”

She bowed over and her hands flew to her face, her shoulders beginning to shake with sobs. He laid a hand on her back and stroked it the way he’d always liked when he was upset and May would pull him close and do it for him.

“I’m sorry,” he said again.

“No,” she sobbed, face still covered and voice muffled. “I have been hurting for so long, scared by what he might have felt, pain that I caused, but he felt…” She cut off with another sob.

“He felt love,” Peter said carefully as Mind whispered the words to him, sounding gentler and more tender than Peter had ever heard, making him wonder if he felt some connection to Wanda, too. “Only love.”

She lowered her hands, wiped at her face, and then did something that took Peter completely off guard. She kissed his cheek and said, “Thank you, Peter.”

No one had kissed him since the last morning he’d left for school, the day he went to Titan. He’d been on his way out of the door, piece of toast in hand and backpack slung over his shoulder, when May had caught his arm, pulled him back and into a tight squeeze. She’d kissed his cheek and said, _“You know I love you, right?”_

 _“I know,”_ he’d said offhandedly, not knowing it was the last time he would ever see her. _“Love you, too.”_ And then he had grinned and slipped out of the door, headed to school where he was looking forward to telling Ned about the carjacking he’d stopped the night before.

Peter had no response to give Wanda now for her thanks. What did you even say after seeing the most awful moment of a person’s life and then tell them that what had caused them agony had not hurt the recipient at all?

“You looked tired,” she said, eyeing him sympathetically.

“Just a little,” Peter said. The use of Soul hadn’t used much energy, but the emotional turmoil of what he’d seen and done had drained him. “I’ll go lie down for a while.”

She nodded, and Peter got to his feet, footsteps heavy as he walked towards his bedroom. He passed Steve on the way, and he said, “You okay, Queens?”

“Just tired,” Peter muttered, slipping into his room and closing the door behind him.

When he was alone, he raked his hand through his hair, sitting on the edge of the bed, and said, “Okay, Soul, we’ve got to talk about that. I _can’t_ do that again.”

 _‘I didn’t do it,’_ she said. _‘Not on my own. It was you, too. You’re using us.’_

“Then I’ve got to learn to stop,” Peter said. “If I can control you enough to not hurt people—”

 _‘Which you can,’_ Power said, _‘Which I think is dumb as all hell, since you’ve got the President of your boondock country on your ass, but it’s your choice, I guess.’_

“It is,” Peter said firmly.

 _‘Take time to recover from what you saw, and we can work with your training tomorrow,’_ Mind said. _‘I know that was very difficult for you. Wanda’s feelings were strong for Vision.’_

“Yeah, I figured that when I—” He cut off when there was a knock of his door. “Come in.”

Sam peered in and said, “Hey. Is everything okay? Wanda said you were upset.”

Peter sighed, “I wasn’t… Yeah, something happened with Wanda, but I’m okay now.” He didn’t want to admit what he’d seen. If Wanda wanted to tell people, she could, but he wasn’t going to announce himself as a mind-reader or someone that could violate people’s privacy.

“Can I come in?” Sam asked.

“Sure.” Peter scooted back on the bed and crossed his legs in front of him.

Sam sat on the end of the bed and said, “I’ve wanted to talk to you for a while, but things have been…” He waved a hand.

“Crazy,” Peter agreed. “Yeah. What did you want to talk about?” He wondered if it was the Stones. Sam had seemed okay with him since they’d left Wakanda, but he’d been wary in the overseen conversation when they’d first found out about them.

“I wanted to tell you a little about myself,” Sam said. “I thought it might help you.”

“Okay,” Peter said doubtfully, wondering what Sam thought he needed help with.”

“I was in the Air Force,” Sam said. “Enlisted at eighteen and served until I lost someone close to me.” He gave Peter an assessing look. “I saw my best friend get shot down by an RPG when we were on a mission in our EXO-7 wings.”

“I’m sorry,” Peter said awkwardly.

Sam gave him a small smile, “Thanks. It’s what came after that I wanted to talk to you about. What happened to Riley was hard on me, but I had someone help me through it. After, when I was in a better place, I started helping others in return. I trained in trauma treatment, mostly veterans with PSTD.”

“That’s great,” Peter said, though his confusion was evident in his tone. “You probably made a real difference.”

“I hope I did,” he said gravely. “And I’m hoping you’ll let me help you, too.”

“I’m okay,” Peter said quickly. “Really, I don’t have any kind of trauma.”

Sam frowned. “Peter, you went through huge trauma recently, more than any of us suffered. You were one of the Vanished, after facing Thanos, according to Tony, and then when you came back, you were thrown straight in at the deep end again. You were on the battlefield with us—and the things I saw there have given me nightmares—and then you snapped and…” He blew out a heavy breath. “You did all that and more, Peter, things no one should have to face. You nearly died _twice_ recently.”

“Yeah, but I can’t die,” Peter pointed out.

“Which is something else you might need to talk about,” Sam said, then held up his hands as Peter opened his mouth to reply. “You don’t need to talk unless you want to, there’s no pressure at all. I think you’ve already got enough of that. But if there’s anything you want to talk about, I’ll be here, and I won’t judge. You might be having feelings and thoughts that seem wrong, but they’re natural and to be expected. You’re in a unique position with the Stones, and you’re taking on a huge responsibility by protecting people. I want to help with that.”

“Uh… okay, thanks,” Peter said a little lamely.

He was grateful that Sam wanted to help, but he didn’t feel he needed it. Sure, he’d been through a lot, but he was handling it. He didn’t want to start whining when he had been so lucky and had people willing to help him. It was more than many people had.

Sam hesitated a moment. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” Peter said. “Anything.”

“Why didn’t the Stones save you when you were attacked in Wakanda? I’ve seen what they’re capable of, and then kept you close to Tony when you were both hurt, but why didn’t they step up when it was most dangerous.”

Peter ran a hand over his face. “Well, they did in a way. When I saw the first man, they reacted, knocking him back, but it scared me. I thought I’d killed him, and I freaked out completely.” He bit his lip. “This power is a lot, and it could do so much damage. I can’t let it hurt other people. The Stones say I stopped them when W’Kebe came, that’s how he was able to give me the overdose injection. They say I’m in control of it now, that I won’t hurt anyone. And that’s great, I feel safer now.”

“Safer now that you aren’t protected?” Sam asked, brow furrowed.

Peter shrugged. “I guess not, but I feel safer knowing I won’t hurt anyone else with the Stones.” He smiled slightly. “And now I might be able to see Morgan, and I _really_ want to.”

“That’s Tony’s kid, right?” Sam said.

“Yes. His daughter.”

Sam considered a moment. “I think seeing her would be really good for you, Peter. You need something good. And you can. Like you said, you’re in control of the Stones. Let yourself have this. It’d probably mean as much to Tony as it does you.”

Peter nodded and drew up his knees, hugging them to his chest. “Yeah, I want to. I’ll have to ask Tony, though, make sure he’s okay with it.”

Sam smiled. “I don’t think that’s in question, Peter. He’ll be back tomorrow, I think. Rhodey called him and told him to take an extra night at home, since he thought it would be good for you both to have a little more space, but I can give him a call and see how he feels about bringing her tomorrow if you like?”

Peter couldn’t help the smile that spread over his face. He was nervous, but he desperately wanted to meet her. Tony said he was her brother, and he’d never had anything like that in his life before. He wanted to meet his sister, and he _would not_ hurt her. 

“I’d like that,” he said.

Sam clapped his hands down on his knees and said, “We’ll let him have another night at home and call in the morning. I have a feeling he’d be here within the hour if he knew he you were up for it.” He got to his feet. “Me and Bucky are making lasagna for dinner. You like that?”

“I love lasagna,” Peter said enthusiastically. “My Uncle Ben used to make it, and it was great. I’ve not had it in ages since Aunt May didn’t even attempt anything that complicated.”

Sam laughed. “Great, I’ll make sure there’s plenty for you. I’ll give you a shout when it’s ready.”

He strode out of the room and clicked the door closed behind him.

Peter relaxed and tilted his head back against the headboard. He was excited at the idea of meeting Morgan and was actually looking forward to dinner with the others, even though he didn’t know them well yet.

 _‘You will know them soon,’_ Soul said cheerfully. _‘They want to know you; I can feel it.’_

Peter didn’t answer, but he smiled. He wanted to know them, to make friends, as he had a feeling they were all he was going to see until the situation with Ross was settled. Even then, what was he going to do next? He couldn’t go back to Queens and school, could he? The Stones would complicate that, his eyes. Maybe he could wear contacts…

He shrugged. That was a problem for another day. He wasn’t thinking big picture yet. He was just going to get on with what he had to deal with already.

xXx

The ringing phone drew Ross from sleep, and he groaned as he rolled over and reached for it.

He never imagined being President would be easy, and it wasn’t, but the thrill of power was dampened by the interruption to his sleep for things that could be handled by the people he delegated to.

He answered the call with a grunted, “Yes,” and waited to be informed of whatever urgent matter had disturbed his night.

“Mr. President, we have a call from Speaker Baxter,” the formal voice replied. “She says it’s a matter of national security.”

“Put her through,” Ross said, swinging his legs around and sitting on the edge of the bed, a hand coming to run over his face to banish the last of the tiredness the call had not driven away.

“Yes, Sir.” There was a pause, and then Sonia Baxter’s voice said, “Mr. President, we have received a communication from within Wakanda.”

“The child?” Ross asked.

“Yes. They’ve transferred him out of the country already, but, Sir, there’s something you need to know about him.”

“Go ahead,” Ross said curtly.

Speaker Baxter spoke, and Ross’ eyebrows rose to almost touching his receding hairline—a byproduct of the stress of power.

He’d wanted the child for his own reasons, to create a face of his leadership and the salvation of the world, but the more he listened, the more he heard, the faster his heart pounded.

The boy had been coveted to further and maintain his leadership, but now he heard what had happened, what he had become, he knew he needed him under his rule as an asset.

If the report from Wakanda was true, the boy was now the most potent weapon in the Universe, and Ross could use him.

And Ross always got what he wanted.

Wow. This scene is really emotional. We get an insight into what Wanada felt from Peter's perspective, and it's just.. heartbreaking. Wanda went through a lot of pain and guilt, and Peter is beginning to understand a fraction of that. It's perfect, although more insight into what Peter was feeling about the whole situation would make it a lot better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… Ross knows about Peter now. We’re coming to the final arc of the story now, but we’ve got some fluff with Morgan and Peter to come first—with a cameo from Happy which I know some of you have been waiting for.   
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony quickly dialed again and waited for it to connect, his smile wide and not falling when it was met by Happy’s scowl as he answered. “Yes,” he said belligerently.   
> “I’ve got good news,” he said. “How do you feel about coming on a trip upstate with us? I’ve got a kid that’d like to see you.”  
> Happy’s scowl faded, and he smiled. “Sure, I’d like to spend some time with your girl.”  
> “What about my boy?” Tony asked.   
> Happy’s eyes widened slightly. “Peter’s with you?”  
> “Not right now, but he and the others are set up in a place an hour away from mine. I’m taking Pepper and Morgan over today, and I figured you’d like to see him.”  
> Happy’s smile grew, and he said, “Damn. Yeah, definitely. I mean—” He gave his head a quick shake and said gruffly, “Yeah. I’ll come. I guess it’d be good to see him. It’s been five years since the kid talked my ear off.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much Randomskycolor and Prongs100 for pre-reading.   
> Thank you all for the comments and kudos. It still amazes me that so many of you are coming on this journey with me. It encourages me to keep going on the days that are tough.

Tony was woken on his second morning at home with forty pounds of little girl landing on his stomach and smacking kisses to his cheeks.

His breath grunted out of him, and his eyes flew open to see her beaming face inches from his, her eyes alight with happiness.

“Daddy! You’re still here!” she squealed.

“I am,” he said, trying to draw a breath. “Can you maybe get off Daddy since he can’t breathe.”

She giggled and rolled over, landing between him a Pepper, and wriggling under the covers then kissing her mother with loud smacking sounds.

Pepper groaned and opened her eyes and then smiled as he saw her daughter.

“Momma, Daddy’s still here!”

“I know,” Pepper said. “I noticed when he spent the whole night snoring up a storm and hogging on the covers.

Morgan giggled and made a theatrical snorting sound, which was apparently her impression of Tony snoring.

“I don’t snore,” Tony said.

Both Pepper and Morgan laughed, and Morgan said, “Daddy, you do. You sound like a hungry pig.”

Tony sat up and looked down at two of the loves of his life. “Do I really? Peter and Rhodey said something about it, but I thought they were just screwing with me.”

“Language,” Pepper chided.

Morgan muttered, “Screwing with you. Nope.”

Pepper narrowed her eyes and said, “Nice work, Tony. You taught her a new word.”

“Sorry,” Tony said repentantly. “But do I really?”

Pepper sat up and stretched. “You really do, honey, but it’s not so bad. I’m used to it now. I had a hard time sleeping when you weren’t here without your noise in my ear.” She grinned. “It’s like nature sounds to me now.”

Tony huffed. “Maybe I need one of those nose strip things.”

Pepper leaned over Morgan, who was now sitting up with her fingers tangling in the cotton of Pepper’s nightgown. “You don’t need to do that for me,” she said.

“Why are you still here? I thought you needed to go back to Peter,” Morgan said, and then brightened. “Is he here, too?”

“Afraid not, Maguna. But Uncle Rhodey called and said, and I quote, ‘you need a break with your family, and Peter needs one with us. Don’t come back until we call’.” He couldn’t help but pout as he finished.

Pepper patted his hand. She had already talked him through it when Rhodey had called the evening before to pass on the instructions. Tony felt torn. He was happy at the idea of another night with his family, sharing another breakfast, but he felt bad that Peter apparently needed a break from _him._

“Great,” Morgan said. “Can we go play in the garage today?”

“We can,” Tony said. “I’ve got something I want to work on in there.” Pepper raised an eyebrow, and he went on. “Pete’s suit was trashed after he snapped, so I want to set him up with a new one. We’ve got some pretty good stuff back there in the workshop that SHIELD left behind, but nothing I can use with nanites. I’m going to get it started here and take it back so we can work on it together with some of the stuff Shuri gave me.”

“Is he going to be using a suit?” Pepper asked curiously.

Tony sighed. “Not for a while, at least, and not at all according to him. I know better, though. The thing with Ross won’t last forever, and I want the suit ready for him.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “This is just a delay. He _will_ get back to school, he will see his friends, he will patrol again.”

Pepper stared at him a moment, a doubtful look on her face, and then said, “We better get breakfast then.” She patted Morgan’s head and said, “You need to jump in the bath first, though, madam.”

“Pancakes again?” she asked hopefully.

“Nope, Lucky Charms,” she said. “Just because Daddy is here, it doesn’t mean we’re going to have _all_ the breakfast foods every day.”

Morgan shrugged, climbed over Tony, and bounced out of the room, singing, “Lucky Charms! They're Magically Delicious!”

Tony kissed Pepper and then swung his legs around the bed and wandered into their bathroom to clean up himself.

When he got downstairs fifteen minutes later, the kitchen was empty, Pepper still helping Morgan clean up, he guessed, so he started the coffee and took the cereal and bowls from the cupboard and set them on the table then leaned his hip against the counter and looked out of the window at the lake. He wondered what Peter was doing that morning. Was he awake yet, or still sleeping? What had he spent the night doing? Had he slept or spent the night with the Stones?

The coffee burbled and spat its last, and he poured mugs for himself and Pepper, then sipped at his. It was good, on the right side of bitter, and the caffeine seeped into his veins, banishing the last of his tiredness.

“Boss,” Friday announced. “You’ve got a call coming through to your cell.”

Tony set down his mug and rushed up the stairs to take his phone from where it was charging beside the bed and connected the call. The hologram appeared, and Tony was surprised to see Sam’s face displayed.

“Is Peter okay?” he asked at once.

“He’s fine,” Sam said easily. “He’s got an invite for you. We had a talk last night, and he said he was ready for you to bring your little girl over here.”

Tony’s heart skipped. “He’s ready to meet Morgan?”

Sam smiled. “Yeah. He’s feeling a little more confident now. He said the Stones explained he’s the one in control now. He won’t be throwing anyone around unless he wants to. That’s how he was attacked before; he scared himself and wouldn’t let them do it again.”

Tony nodded slowly. He’d wondered how W’Kebe had been able to dose him when he was capable of defending himself, but it made sense that he would have taken over control of that power, even at the cost of getting hurt. Stupid kid.

“That leaves him vulnerable,” he said quietly.

Sam’s eyes became grave. “It does, but he seems happier that way. The thing he’s happy about now is that Morgan will be safe if she comes here.” He frowned slightly. “Do you feel safe with her here?”

Tony waved a hand. “I always did. I wish he’d told me sooner. I’ve got a very impatient four-year-old here waiting to meet him.”

“He wasn’t ready sooner,” Sam said. “He is now. Shall I tell him you’re coming?”

“Yes,” Tony said. “We’ll be there soon.”

“No rush,” Sam said. “Steve’s making breakfast right now, and you know that’s quite a process for Peter to get through since he needs to eat more than us.”

“It’s his metabolism,” Tony said. “He’s got to keep his energy up.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Okay, we’ll leave in an hour, so you’ve got a couple hours until we arrive.” An idea occurred to him. “Actually, we’ll be there after lunch. I’ve got someone else I think would like to come.”

“I’ll let him know,” Sam said, giving him a nod and then disconnecting the call.

Tony quickly dialed again and waited for it to connect, his smile wide and not falling when it was met by Happy’s scowl as he answered. “Yes,” he said belligerently.

“I’ve got good news,” he said. “How do you feel about coming on a trip upstate with us? I’ve got a kid that’d like to see you.”

Happy’s scowl faded, and he smiled. “Sure, I’d like to spend some time with your girl.”

“What about my boy?” Tony asked.

Happy’s eyes widened slightly. “Peter’s with you?”

“Not right now, but he and the others are set up in a place an hour away from mine. I’m taking Pepper and Morgan over today, and I figured you’d like to see him.”

Happy’s smile grew, and he said, “Damn. Yeah, definitely. I mean—” He gave his head a quick shake and said gruffly, “Yeah. I’ll come. I guess it’d be good to see him. It’s been five years since the kid talked my ear off.”

Tony chuckled. “Okay, hurry your ass up. We’ll leave when you get here.”

“See you,” Happy said curtly, cutting the call. 

Tony set his phone down and went to Morgan’s room, where Pepper was braiding her hair as Morgan fumbled with the buttons of her dress. “So, Maguna, what do you think about taking a trip to go see Peter today?” he asked.

Morgan’s hands dropped, and her mouth curled into a huge smile. “I can see Peter?”

“We all can,” he said.

“Will he be rescuing cats?”

Tony chuckled. “There are no cats where he’s living, but if you ask nicely, he might show you some of his special flips.”

“Will he fly?”

Pepper raised an eyebrow. “Fly?”

Tony shook his head, smiling slightly. “He won’t be _web-swinging_ , which is what you meant, I’m sure, unless…” He grinned. “I might be able to persuade him to.”

Morgan bounced in her seat. “Yes! Persuade him.”

Tony crossed the room, kissed her cheek, and then rushed down the stairs and into the garage where he had some of the stuff he’d brought from the compound when he and Pepper had moved into the lake house.

He found the box he was looking for hidden under three more where he would have been unlikely to come across it before, saving himself the painful reminder of what he’d had and lost. He lifted the lid and found, among the other stuff he’d had of Peter’s, the pair of web-shooters they’d been working on in the workshop the last day they’d spent there together

“Welcome back, Spider-Man,” he muttered, lifting them up and weighing them in his hand. “It’s time for you to swing again.”

xXx

“Okay, honey, you need to close your eyes,” Tony said. “It’s going to be a little scary for a moment.”

Morgan frowned. “Why scary?”

Tony considered for a moment and then said, “Where Peter lives is a little different. It’s on an island.”

“Do we go on a boat,” she said. “I like boats. Uncle Rhodey said he wants to get a little boat for fishing, but we’ve got to wait until Momma says he can, and she says I’m not old enough yet.” She pouted. “When do I get old enough?”

“You’ll have to ask your Momma,” Tony said. “Now, close your eyes, cover them with your hands, too. It’s going to be bumpy, like a wobbly road, and then we’ll be there.”

He checked she’d obeyed, and then he stopped outside the gated entrance to the base road, punched in the code, and drove through, watching Happy following in his car with Pepper in the passenger seat. He’d warned them about what had to happen, too, and Happy had seemed a bit put out about the idea of driving out of a lake—and then back into one when he left. His eagerness to see Peter—though he did his best to hide it—was more pressing than his fear, though.

When they were through, and the gate had closed behind them, Tony drove into the heat haze that showed the place Peter had connected them to the base’s new location, and the strange sensation of turbulence rushed over him.

“Daddy,” Morgan whimpered.

Tony placed a hand on her chest, keeping the other on the wheel, and said, “We’re almost there. Just be brave a little longer. There, you can open your eyes now.”

He eased the car to a stop in the lot outside the base and patted Morgan’s chest as she opened her eyes and looked around.

“He lives here?” she asked. “It looks like a place they make machines.”

“It’s not a factory,” he said. “It belonged to some people Daddy used to work for. It’s much nicer inside.”

Morgan unsnapped her seatbelt and tried to open the door, but it was too heavy for her. 

“Hang on,” he said.

He took off his seatbelt, climbed out, and went around to the side to open her door, Happy and Pepper climbing out beside.

“That was certainly different,” Pepper said a little shakily. “And we have to actually drive _into_ the lake to get out.”

“Yeah, but it’s over quick,” Tony assured her.

“Great,” Happy grunted.

Tony opened the door, and Morgan practically jumped out. She looked around and said, “Where is he?”

“I’m sure he’ll be here soon,” Pepper said, patting her head. “Give him a moment.”

Morgan sighed.

“I’ll go root him out,” Tony said.

He strode to the building through the front door and saw Peter standing just inside the lobby. His lip was clamped between his teeth, and he looked pale.

Tony looked at him a moment then took two steps forward and hugged him. Peter melted against him and said, “I’m sorry.”

“You can handle this, Pete,” Tony said. “She’s not going to bite, and you won’t hurt her.”

Peter pulled back, his eyes wide and desperate. “I won’t, I swear. I won’t let them hurt anyone else.”

“I know,” Tony said, smoothing back Peter’s hair and then patting his cheek. “Come on, you got this. Come meet your sister.”

Peter’s cheeks colored, and he took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, let’s do this.”

xXx

Peter stepped out into the warm sunshine, his heart racing in his chest and hands clammy. Tony was beside him, hand on his shoulder, and he murmured, “Brace yourself, Pete.”

Peter heard a squeal of excitement as a little girl barreled towards them, her braid bouncing on her back and her hands outstretched. It was the little girl from the picture Tony had shown him, though the image on the phone screen hadn’t captured her fully. Perhaps it was the sun on her face or her wide smile, but she was much prettier in person.

Peter expected her to fly at Tony, her dad, but she slammed into him with a force that made him rock back.

Her small arms wrapped around him, and her face buried in his stomach as she squealed. “Peter!”

Tony laughed and said, “Easy, Morgan, you’re going to knock him over!”

Morgan pulled back, tucking her hands behind her back, and looked up at him. “Sorry, Petey. Did I hurt you?”

“No,” Peter said, hand coming to her head automatically and stroking her hair. “You’re not too heavy.”

She beamed at him, and then a crease furrowed her brow. “What happened to your eyes?”

“My eyes?” Peter asked. “Oh, uh…”

“They weren’t like that in the pictures daddy showed me. They were brown. How did you make them those colors?”

She didn’t seem upset by them, more confused, which surprised Peter as he wasn’t used to them himself. They made him a little uneasy when he saw them in the mirror, the stark evidence of the Stones and their role in his life.

“They’re part of what makes Peter special,” Tony said. “When he saved us, he got those eyes.”

Peter’s eyes widened. He didn’t think Tony would have told her what he’d done. He glanced up at him, and Tony gave him a confident nod and a small smile.

“Wow,” Morgan said. “Momma said you were a hero, and Daddy was, too. And Daddy says Momma was.”

“They both were,” Peter assured her. “Everyone there was.”

Morgan beamed. “And you saved the _whole_ world!”

Peter blushed, overwhelmed by her evident admiration and the frank way she said it.

_‘She’s reaching,” Soul said. ‘Can you feel it?’_

He could. She was the warmest and strongest he’d felt, perhaps because she was so young and innocent and had no fear of him. 

_‘Would you like to show her something?’_ Reality asked.

Peter nodded slightly. “Would you like to see something special, Morgan?”

She looked up at him. “Yes! What is it?”

“Come sit down,” Peter said.

He led her to the rocks by the lake and helpfully boosted her up when he held her hands up to him. “Close your eyes a moment, and hold out your hand.”

She obeyed, her small hand extended.

Peter could feel eyes on them, but he didn’t look around. He was sure he was under close scrutiny, but he wasn’t uneasy. This felt important to do, something to both show and do for Morgan, so he couched in front of her and closed his eyes.

 _‘Butterflies?’_ Reality asked.

“Yes,” Peter whispered. “More colors.”

He fixed in his mind what he wanted them to be, a variety of colors, and then felt the smallest rush from him and a whisper of. _‘Open your eyes.’_

He obeyed and grinned as he saw the butterflies. They were fluttering around him and Morgan, the light making their wings seem almost transparent.

“Open your eyes, Morgan,” he instructed.

She did, and they widened with glee. “Look!” she whispered. “There’s so many.” A yellow one landed on her hand, and she gasped. “I can feel it. It’s so light, but it tickles, too.” She fixed enchanted eyes on him and said, “How did you do it?”

Peter lowered his voice and said, “It’s magic. But you can’t tell anyone. It’s a secret. They think I just smell so good the butterflies come.”

“What else can you do?” she whispered.

“Oh, I… Uh…”

 _‘Birds?’_ Reality suggested. _“A rainbow? It’s really all within your command. If you can imagine it, you can create it.’_

Before Peter could answer, there was a throat cleared behind him. He straightened up and spun around to see Happy scrutinizing him.

“Oh. Hey, Happy,” he said.

Happy stared at him a moment, and then caught Peter completely off guard by pulling him into a tight hug, breathing shakily. He clung to him for a moment, and then pushed him away, held him at arm’s length and said, “I hear you saved the world. Nice work, kid.” He ruffled Peter’s hair and then, blinking rapidly and swiping a hand over his wet face, walked away.

Peter stared after him, completely taken aback. He loved Happy, but he’d always thought it was pretty much a one-sided thing. Sure, Happy had been grateful that Peter had saved his job with the Toomes thing, and he’d definitely been more easygoing after, taking Peter for burgers and to pick up slushies on the way to the compound for his visits, but he’d not expected any kind of emotional reunion. But Happy had been crying…

Morgan tugged on his hand. “Petey, the butterflies are gone,” she whined.

Peter turned back to her and smiled. “Sorry, I lost focus for a moment. I’ll get them back. Or do you want birds? What’s your favorite kind of bird?”

She clapped her hands. “Eagles!”

Peter chuckled. “Okay, that might be a bit much. How about a hummingbird? Do you like them?”

“Sure. Okay.”

Peter knelt down in front of her again and fixed the small bird in his mind, the lightning-fast wings and long beak, and then he saw it come to life in front of him, darting around Morgan’s head as she followed it with wide eyes.

“Wow,” she whispered, then stared at him and stated, “Petey, you’re the best brother in the world.”

Peter felt warmth in his chest that was different from how it felt when someone was reaching for him; he thought it was Soul telling him he was reaching for Morgan this time. He liked the sensation, and his smile was wide as he said, “And I think you’re the best sister in the world, Mo.”

She abandoned her scrutiny of the hummingbird and thrust herself off the rock and into his arms. She clung to him with surprising strength for someone so little, and he buried his face into her hair.

He had been worried about this, scared he would hurt her accidentally, but he knew now, with her in his arms, that she was perfectly safe. He would destroy himself and the Stones themselves before he would let anyone in the world hurt her, including him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… Morgan at last! What did you think? I have been eager to write this scene for so long, but I had to wait until Peter was in the right headspace. We’ve got more time with them in the next chapter before the finale build-up begins. Also, a little Happy time, which I know was eagerly awaited by some of you. We’ll have some more of that in the next chapter.   
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony drew a deep breath. “They’re looking for you. I didn’t say anything sooner since I didn’t know, but today a global email was sent to all employee accounts.”  
> Pepper held out her cell phone to Peter, and he scanned the displayed email. It was written in all caps and bold type. He read it aloud, a sinking sensation in his gut, “Where’s Peter Parker?” He closed his eyes a moment, absorbed the feeling of dread. “Do you think it’s Ross?”  
> “We don’t think so,” Pepper said. “It came with an image signature. Scroll down.”  
> Peter obeyed, reaching the end of the email where there was an image of a swivel chair that he recognized as he’d sat it in before, seen his best friend spinning it as his fingers flew over the keyboard in his bedroom with its green painted walls—his mother’s choice of color scheme—and his Captain America bedding. His stomach swooped, and he began to laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much Prongs100 for pre-reading.  
> Good News! I finished writing Story II. It’s going to be called Hold On A Second Longer and it’s 15 chapters and 47k words. It’s shorter as it’s a smaller plot. I am now working on Story III which has a plot that’s got me really excited.  
> You guys are awesome. I’m nudging in on 900 Kudos now and that’s unbelievable to me, truly. I never imagined so many of you would enjoy the story. It’s also piling on the pressure for the rest of the series as I don’t want to let you down. Believe me, I’m trying my very hardest to make sure I don’t.  
> 

Tony pulled Pepper a little closer into his chest, leaning his cheek against her hair and smiling as he listened to his daughter chatter to his son on the couch opposite.

The room was not quiet. Everyone had gathered but were each involved in their own conversations and activities. Rhodey, Steve, and Barnes were playing cards. Wanda was looking at something on her phone. Steve and Bruce were engaged in a conversation about the state of government and following the Snap and what could come next.

Peter and Morgan were sitting a little apart on the floor, Peter was looking into some of the bags of stuff Tony had brought back for him, and Morgan was telling him how she’d chosen them all for him.

“And this is the Lego game,” she said happily. “It’s got Daddy’s special face on it, but not yours.” She frowned slightly. “Why don’t you have a Lego with your special face?”

Peter smiled slightly. “I was never a real hero like your dad. I just did little things. Not really a hero at all.”

Tony opened his mouth to argue, but Pepper placed a hand on his chest and whispered, “Shh. Listen a moment. Watch.”

Morgan was staring at Peter with intensity, seeming to be puzzling over something, and then she said, “But you saved the whole world when the bad man came. That’s a _big_ hero thing.”

The room became entirely silent as they all listened for Peter’s response.

Color flushed Peter’s cheeks, and he ducked his head, his eyes fixed on the video game box in his hands. “Yeah, but that was a little different. Not really a hero thing at all. It wasn’t like I…” He ran a hand over his face. “It was different, Morgan.”

“Why?” she asked. “What did you do?”

Peter gave a short laugh. “I just put on a special glove and snapped my fingers.” He tapped her nose. “See, not a big hero thing.”

“How did snapping your fingers save the world?” she asked. “I can do that.” She lifted her hand and attempted to snap her own fingers, fumbling until the fifth attempt, and then grinning and saying. “See!”

“I see,” Peter said with a fond smile. “It was more a… uh… magic thing. The glove was magic, so when I snapped, it made the bad guys go away. Really, it wasn’t special.”

Morgan stared at him, her brow furrowed and lips pursed. “Was it scary?”

Tony held his breath as he waited for an answer. Had Peter been scared? He must have been. Even without what he’d done, the battle had been terrifying for them all. They’d been fighting for their lives and the world with no guarantees they could win. The focus had been keeping the gauntlet from Thanos, but at the same time, they’d been fighting against the horrifying enemies that were hellbent on killing them. 

“A little,” Peter said. “But it worked out.”

Morgan chewed her lip for a moment and then climbed onto his lap and put her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek. “I think you’re lying,” she stated, and Peter’s eyes widened. “I think you’re pretending like Daddy does when he says he’s not sad but he is really, or when he says he’s not tired and goes in the garage to work when Momma tells him to go to bed.”

Pepper straightened from Tony’s chest and looked at him, her eyes intense. He gave a small nod. He was just as surprised. He never knew Morgan picked up on this stuff, either. There were many nights when he was trapped in bad memories that he didn’t want to become nightmares so didn’t sleep, and he was sometimes sad when he would have a day in which he particularly dwelled on what he’d lost, but he thought he’d shielded Morgan from that.

Peter considered her for a moment and then he said, “I wasn’t scared when I did it, maybe because it happened fast and it felt like the right thing to do, but I was scared after when it hurt. But your daddy was there, and that made it better.”

Morgan tilted her head to the side. “He’s your daddy, too, you know.”

“Oh, I… uh…”

Morgan looked between Peter and Tony. “Daddy says you’re my brother, he showed me your picture when you were gone and said you were Peter, my brother, so that means he’s your daddy, too.” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked across to Tony. “You are, aren’t you, Daddy?”

Tony ran a hand through his hair and said,” Well, Peter had a different daddy and an uncle that took care of him when he was little, but yeah, he's your brother.”

Morgan gave Peter a pointed look and a nod. “See. You’re my brother, so he’s your daddy.” She patted Peter’s hair in a way that was endearingly maternal and said, “See.”

“I see,” Peter said, and he looked pleased, though his cheeks were still flushed.

Rhodey gave Tony a pointed look and raised an eyebrow. Tony gave him a small nod in return. Yeah, that was a conversation he needed to have with Peter still. He didn’t want to overwhelm him or take a position in his life Peter wasn’t comfortable with, but he didn’t want Peter to doubt how he felt about him.

Morgan picked the Lego game out of Peter’s hand and said, “I got you lots of games. I’m not allowed to play them, only tic-tac-toe with Friday, and that’s fun, but we picked out _so_ many games for you to play.” She gave an impish smile and said in a carrying whisper. “I’m not allowed to decide because Momma and Daddy do that until I’m older, but you can decide, so I think if _you_ ask me to play with you, I’ll be allowed.” She put her arms around his neck again and fixed her eyes on his. “Do you ask me?”

Peter glanced at Tony, an equally impish look in his eyes, and said, “Definitely. Morgan, will you _please_ play computer games with me.”

Morgan beamed and hugged him tight and then leaned back, arms still around him, and looked back to Pepper and Tony and said, “Peter _asked_ if I’ll play games with him, so can I?”

Pepper buried her face in Tony’s chest, and he felt her laughing. He formed his expression into something suitably considering and said, “I guess if _Peter_ asked, it’d be rude to say no. So, yes, when Peter is playing, too, you can.”

Morgan grinned. “Thanks, Daddy.” She turned her attention back to Peter, leaning her head on his shoulder as he rubbed her back.

It warmed Tony’s heart to see both his kids so happy and bonding like this. He knew how scared Peter had been, and he’d worried it would hold him back, but Morgan’s charms had worked their magic, and Peter was as enthralled as anyone else that met her.

It was strange that both his children, one blood and one not, each had an ability to worm their way into the hearts of those around them, without either of them seeming to be aware of the ability.

“Petey,” Morgan said, her voice taking on the wheedling tone Tony recognized and knew was a powerful weapon. “Can you show me your tricks?”

“Sure,” Peter said. “What do you want this time? Butterflies? Birds? Or something fluffy to pet? Do you like kittens?”

“Maybe not kittens, Peter,” Pepper said. “She’d want to take it home.”

Peter nodded quickly. “Yeah, okay, not a kitten.”

“I don’t want magic tricks,” Morgan said, sounding amused that Peter was too slow to understand her request. “I want to see your jumping tricks that you do in your Spider-Peter suit.”

Peter’s brow furrowed. “Well, I haven’t got my suit anymore, so I can’t do much, but I guess I can do some flips and stuff outside.”

Morgan clapped her hands and slid off his lap and held out her hand with an imperious look. “Come on.”

Peter got to his feet and allowed her to lead him out of the room, through the lobby and outside. Pepper straightened up from where she was leaned against Tony and said, “I want to see this, too.”

Tony followed her outside, and they stood by the lake as Peter positioned Morgan a little away from him and squared his stance and then did a backflip, landing neatly.

Morgan clapped her hands delightedly and said, “Again!”

Peter obeyed, moving from one flip into the next and then running at the wall, climbing twelve feet, and spinning back to the ground and landing in a crouch with fingertips steadying him.

“That’s pretty cool,” Sam said.

Tony turned and saw they’d all come out and were watching Peter, too.

“Can you swing?” Morgan asked. “On your webs. Daddy said you used to.”

“I can’t,” Peter said with obvious regret. “I don’t have my web-shooters.”

“Actually,” Tony said, digging in his pocket, “I had these in the garage back home.”

Peter stared at him for a moment, lips parted and a quizzical look on his face, and then he said, “Thanks, Tony.” He took them and slipped them onto his wrists, gave them a quick tap, and a stream of web shot out.

“That’s weird,” Morgan stated.

Peter laughed. “It is a little. Come into the forest. It’ll be easier for me there.”

Morgan trotted after him, and they all followed, coming to a line behind Morgan when Peter stopped her with a hand on her chest and then carried on into the trees.

They were spaced apart enough to give him room, and the pines towered with enough bare trunk for him to attach to.

Peter bent his knees, then jumped up, reaching ten feet up the trunk, and then climbing higher. He held on with one hand and then shot a web at a neighboring tree and kicked away. He swung through the air, shooting another web and swinging from it as Morgan cheered him.

There were impressed murmurs around Tony, but the sound he was listening to was Peter’s laughter and occasional whoops as he gradually gained height and then began to add flips and twists into his swings. He released the web and flipped over and over, landing on his fingertips and the balls of his feet in front of Morgan, who was clapping her small hands and squealing. Peter was beaming and breathing hard.

“Welcome back, Spider-Man,” Tony said.

“Yeah,” Morgan said happily. “Welcome back, Spider-Peter.”

Peter ran a hand through his hair, his eyes distant but not vague the way they were when he was talking to the Stones. Tony thought it was more the fact he was seeing what he could still have, even with the Stones’ presence in his life. 

And he could have it all. He just needed to gain confidence and to become comfortable with the Stones, and then he could have that life.

Once they’d dealt with Ross anyway. 

xXx

Morgan was asleep on Peter’s lap, her head tucked under his chin and her warm breath tickling his neck. He liked the feeling of her weight on him and the fact she was comfortable enough to fall asleep on him at all.

He knew that he’d had a place in her life before he even met her, that was clear from the fact she talked about photos of him, that she called him her brother, and that seemed to have forged a bond before she’d ever laid eyes on him. He felt that bond, too. He’d never had much contact with kids, apart from occasionally stopping to take selfies with them as Spider-Man on patrols, but Morgan was awesome. She was so full of life, friendly and affectionate, and she threw herself into everything she did.

The closest he’d come to seeing her upset was when she’d asked if he could web-swing with her, too, and he’d had to explain it wasn’t safe. He might have tried it, just a few feet off the ground with him holding her, but Pepper’s quick look and shake of her head when he’d thought about it had made him say he would do it only after her eighth birthday, a statement that had been approved by Tony and Pepper. She’d pouted a little and then cheered up when Peter hooked up the console and they’d played the Avengers Lego game she was so excited about. 

“You want me to go lay her down, Peter?” Pepper asked. “She’s pretty heavy when she’s totally out, and it looks like she is?”

Peter was perfectly comfortable with her, but he thought she might wake up stiff after sleeping like that, so he said, “It’s okay, I’ll do it. I’ll put her on my bed.”

At her nod and small smile, he scooped Morgan up and carried her into his bedroom. She stirred slightly, and he shushed her and settled her on the bed when she stilled with a soft sigh, then covered her with one of the blankets Tony had brought back with him. She nuzzled her face into the pillow, eyes still beneath their lids.

For a moment, he just watched her sleep, and then turned to leave, stopping dead when he saw Happy standing in the doorway.

“Hey. Happy,” he said. “You okay?”

Happy nodded, his jaw working, and then said, “I wanted to talk to you. Let’s get some coffee?”

Puzzled, as Happy hadn’t said much since he’d greeted him upon his arrival, he said, “Sure.”

He checked Morgan was still peaceful and then led Happy out of the room, though the living area, and into the kitchen.

Peter was in no way gifted in the kitchen, but he was able to brew coffee as he’d always done it for May in the mornings. He filled the pot with water, measured grounds, and started the machine then leaned back against the counter and waited for Happy to say something as he settled himself on one of the stools at the island and drummed his fingers on the counter.

“Is everything okay?” Peter asked.

“Yeah. I just wanted to say something. I don’t know how much Tony told you about when you were…”

“Dead?” Peter supplied.

“Gone,” Happy corrected. “You weren’t dead.” His brow furrowed. “And I wasn’t the only one that thought so.”

Peter frowned in return, fiddled uncomfortably with the band of his web-shooter that was still on his wrist. “Okay…”

Happy sighed. “After the Snap, when you were all lost, Tony was pretty much a mess, no real help to anyone, so I made a point of reaching out.”

“To who?” Peter asked.

Happy’s fingers curled. “Your Aunt May.”

Peter’s breath caught. “You saw May?”

“Yeah.”

Happy and May had a developed a friendly relationship after she found out Peter was Spider-Man, occasionally walking Peter down to the car to speak to him before they left to go to the compound. At first, she’d just warned him to stick to the speed limits while her nephew was in the car and not to bring him home too late, but that had developed into broader conversation. Sometimes, Peter had stood waiting for them to finish talking so he could leave, get to the compound and Tony sooner.

Happy drew a deep breath. “I went by as soon as it happened, as soon as I could, and she was obviously upset, but she wasn’t defeated. She believed you’d come back one day. She never changed anything in your room, she didn’t even pick up your dirty socks, since she wanted to make you do it.”

Peter’s eyes pickled, and he felt wetness gather at the corners. He thumbed it away and said, “I wish I could have.”

Happy nodded. “I feel like I got to know her well in the three years we had, and I know she’d be overjoyed now to know you’re back.”

Peter ducked his head and asked, “Was she happy then?”

“No, not at first,” Happy said. “But she was happier than most in the end. The world was pretty chaotic, some people that saw it as end times, that we were all just waiting to be snapped, too, and new religions cropped up around the crisis that people clung to. But there were others that believed you’d come back one day when people fixed it.” He cleared his throat. “When the Avengers saved you all.”

“They did,” Peter said. “It took a while, but they got us back.”

Happy smiled. “They did. I guess I just wanted you to know that May was one of the ones that kept hope, and it was easier for them. She wasn’t happy in the beginning, but she was better after a while.”

Peter wiped at his face again, smearing away the tears, and said, “Thank you, Happy. I needed to hear that.”

He nodded. “I figured you would.”

“What kind of things did you do with her?” he asked. “I mean…” His cheeks heated as he realized that might be too much information if the friendship he was imagining between his aunt and friend had become romance instead. “Were you very close?”

Happy chuckled. “We went out to dinner sometimes, the movies. One time we went to Coney Island, and she dragged me on the Cyclone.”

Peter grinned at the thought of Happy, gruff and severe, riding a roller coaster. “Seriously?”

“Just one time,” Happy said with a grimace. “I wasn’t going to do _that_ again. I don’t know what was worse—her screaming in my ear or the damn twists and turns.”

Peter started to laugh, softly at first and then building until he was clutching his stomach, tears of both mirth and sadness slipping down his cheeks.

Happy slid off his stool and came around the counter to Peter’s side and laid a hand on his shoulder, a firm and comforting weight.

“Thank you, Happy,” he said, wiping at his eyes. “For looking after her, and for telling me. That helps.”

“It must be hard to come back to find her gone,” Happy said.

Peter nodded, surprised by the gentle tone in the man who had earned his name in counterpoint to the nature that so rarely showed happiness.

“It is,” he said. “And I sometimes feel guilty that it’s not the hardest thing. So much has happened since I got back, things have been crazy, and I feel bad that losing her isn’t always the thing I’m thinking about.”

“She’d want it that way. She wouldn’t want you to be unhappy. And…” he drew a deep breath, “I don’t know what’s been happening, Tony just told me what you did for the world and that there were changes for you because of it, but the fact we had to go through some kind of portal to get here and the fact your eyes now look like a kaleidoscope tell me it’s big.” He sighed. “It’s not a bad thing to think about that stuff as well as her, and it’s not a bad thing to be happy now. It’s what she’d want.”

Peter nodded, taking a deep breath to calm himself, and said, “I know, she’d say the exact same thing if she was here.” He looked up. “And the eyes… Really, Happy, they’re the least crazy part of what’s going on.”

“Yeah, I figured.” He patted Peter’s shoulder. “But you can handle it, kid.”

Peter stared at him, seeing his absolute faith and feeling bolstered by it, “Thanks.”

Happy cleared his throat again and said, “Coffee’s done.”

Peter turned and saw the pot was full and the button blinking. “It is.” He went to the cupboard to get clean cups, and then turned as Tony strode in, face unusually grave, followed by Sam and Pepper who looked tense.

“What’s going on?” Peter asked, looking between the two of them. “What’s happened.”

Tony glanced at Sam, who gave him a small nod and said, “We might have a problem.”

“What?”

“The company we developed to reunite the people that came back with their families, Connections Corp, has been attacked a few times, our servers hacked and searched.”

“What are they looking for?” Peter asked, his thoughts turning to the conversation about the risk to people using the program to track down victims.

Tony drew a deep breath. “They’re looking for you. I didn’t say anything sooner since I didn’t know, but today a global email was sent to all employee accounts.”

Pepper held out her cell phone to Peter, and he scanned the displayed email. It was written in all caps and bold type. He read it aloud, a sinking sensation in his gut, “Where’s Peter Parker?” He closed his eyes a moment, absorbed the feeling of dread. “Do you think it’s Ross?”

“We don’t think so,” Pepper said. “It came with an image signature. Scroll down.”

Peter obeyed, reaching the end of the email where there was an image of a swivel chair that he recognized as he’d sat it in before, seen his best friend spinning it as his fingers flew over the keyboard in his bedroom with its green painted walls—his mother’s choice of color scheme—and his Captain America bedding. His stomach swooped, and he began to laugh.

“Uh... what’s funny?” Sam asked.

“Is this shock?” Tony asked. “Sam, you’re the expert; what’s wrong with him? Is he hysterical?”

“No,” Peter choked, rubbing at his heaving stomach. “It is a shock, and I’m kinda an asshole for not doing something about this sooner.” He drew a deep breath and said. “It’s my man in the chair.” Seeing their blank faces and realizing he should have expected them, he said, “It’s not Ross. It’s Ned. He’s trying to find me.”

“The punk with the hoodie?” Happy asked. “Talks a mile a minute?”

Peter laughed again. “Yeah, that’s him.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Damn, I can’t believe I didn’t…” He shook his head. “I’ve got to call him. I can, right?”

He looked at Tony, who considered carefully and said, “Yeah, you can, you should. Don’t tell him—”

Peter held up a hand. “I know, I know, nothing about the Stones or any of the crazy, but I need to tell him something. He’s probably been losing his mind.”

“Then you have to call him,” Pepper said before Tony could answer. “Use my phone.”

Peter thanked her and darted out of the kitchen, through the living area and ignoring the questions called after him, and outside to the lake. He sat down on a rock and dialed in Ned’s number from memory. The hologram appeared, showing a blank screen until it connected, and Ned’s wary face filled the screen. There was a moment of silence as he stared, eyes wide and stunned, and then he let out a shout of, “You’re alive!”

Peter grinned. “I am. So are you.”

Ned laughed a moment, and then his brow furrowed and he burst into rambling speech, “Where the hell have you been? I tried calling and calling, and I went to your place, but Mom told me about May—I’m really sorry—and no one knew where you were. Mr. Delmar said you’d not been seen, and the school had no record of you coming back, and—” He drew a deep breath. “Where have you been? Is that a mountain?”

Peter looked over his shoulder and saw the mountain on the other side of the lake looming over him. “It’s a mountain, yeah.”

“Where are you?” he asked.

“I can’t tell you,” Peter said apologetically. “But I’m okay and with Mr. Stark and some of the other Avengers. Things have been a little crazy, but—”

Ned, whose mouth had dropped open at the mention of the Avengers, shouted, “You’re with the Avengers! Dude! What happened?”

“It’s a long story,” Peter said. “But there was a battle that was crazy, and we won.”

“A battle like you and the Avengers?” Ned asked, eyes wide. “You fought with them?”

Peter rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I did.”

“Whoa, dude. I have to know everything. Who were you fighting? Was it that Thanos my dad told me about, the one that made everyone disappear? Who else? Was it aliens? Were you hurt? God, I bet it was crazy, but you were fighting _with_ the Avengers. Do you know how cool that is?”

Peter laughed, “Yeah, it was crazy, and I guess it was cool. Okay, yeah, it was aliens. Do you remember the Chitauri that attacked New York?”

“You fought Chitauri?” Ned asked breathlessly.

“Yeah, and the suit was… Remember the really cool one Tony made me when I was going to be an Avenger? Well, I was wearing that, and it had these legs that just stabbed them, and I could go so fast, and I web swung from Mjolnir, and it was the coolest thing and…”

Peter told him as much as he could, everything that had happened on the battlefield apart from the snap.

For the first time since he’d come back, he felt like he was a kid again. Ned didn’t know about the Stones; he didn’t know how different Peter was now; he was just sharing the excitement of his best friend being part of something huge.

It felt amazing.

xXx

Ross looked up from the papers he was examining when the door to the Oval Office burst open, and Sinclair Hammond, his chief of intelligence, burst in.

“We’ve got him, Mr. President,” he said eagerly. “The tap on the Leeds boy’s phone paid off. Peter Parker just called him.”

“Where from?” Ross asked.

“We couldn’t nail down a location exactly as the signal trace gave no results, they must have some Stark tech they’re using, but he’s somewhere in the wilderness as there was a lake and mountain behind him. We’re assuming its US soil, though, since that was the information that came from our Wakandan agent.”

Ross scowled. “That doesn’t sound particularly helpful. How are we going to capture him if we don’t know where he is?”

Hammond grinned. “Because of the outgoing number for the call. It was Mrs. Pepper Stark’s phone. We have a connection. If we can draw the boy to her, we can capture him.”

Ross felt a smile spreading over his face. “Draw him to her,” he said thoughtfully. “Yes, we can do that. Stark is the connection we’ve seen already, and I understand he has a child now. Hmmm… Yes. Make arrangements for his confinement. Do not forget that we’re dealing with, though. Until we can bring him under our command, the child is powerful and a threat to us.”

“Of course, Sir. I will make arrangements with my best men.”

Ross nodded. “Excellent, Hammond. Don’t forget, there can be no record of this mission. Until he is under my command and we’re ready to reveal what he did, he will remain anonymous.”

“Will you interview him yourself?” Hammond asked.

Ross steepled his fingers under his chin. “I think I will. I am due time at Camp David after the recent turmoil, and that is where the press will believe I am.” He chuckled. “Camp David, The Raft—each offers me a much-needed retreat.”

The power the boy possessed was almost within reach. It would take time to bring him under his command, he knew. He would have The Avengers in pursuit, but he was not just Secretary of State anymore. He was President of the United States. He was the most powerful man in the world. And he had his expert to help.

He would get what he wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… Good times and bad. Ross is coming — which I’m very excited about — and Peter had a little more Happy time. We’re coming to the climax now, and I have lots planned. Buckle in and brace yourself. I’m going to town with this.  
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx  
> 


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Pete, rise and shine.”  
> Peter’s brow scrunched and his lips pursed. “Go ‘way,” he murmured.   
> “Rude,” Tony scolded, though he was smiling. “Come on. Sam’s making breakfast. Baby superheroes need their food.”   
> Peter cracked one eye open and looked up at him. “What time s’it?”  
> “Breakfast time.” Tony tugged back the blankets and poked Peter’s stomach. “Come eat, or Sam is going to get all pissy.”  
> Peter buried his face in the pillow and groaned and then pushed himself upright and rubbed a hand over his face. “Tired,” he grumbled.   
> “That’ll teach you to stay up all night texting.”  
> “I wasn’t texting all night,” Peter said. “I was researching.”  
> “Researching what?”  
> Peter lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “The world. I wanted to catch up on what I missed, what people were doing.”  
> “People like Ross?” Tony asked cautiously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much Prongs100 for pre-reading.   
> Yep, passed 900 kudos with the last chapter. You people are seriously amazing. When I started posting, Snarks said I was going to get 1k kudos. I laughed my ass off and told her she was crazy. Turns out she might actually be right. I want you to know how appreciative I am for every comment and kudos you leave me. Honestly, it awes me how many of you seem to be enjoying this story that I put so much love into. With Story II finished I am not throwing myself into Story III, and I am having the best time. Peter is fully tapped into his power and he’s doing the most amazing things. I can’t wait for you guys to reach that part of the story.   
> Also, I updated the tags if you want to see a little more of what’s coming in the remains of the story xxx

“What time do teenagers wake up?” Rhodey asked.

The kitchen full of Avengers, working their way through breakfast preparations and drinking coffee, turned to Tony with expectant looks.

He threw up his arms. “How do I know? It’s not like I set him an alarm. He just… wakes up normally.”

“It’s getting late,” Steve said.

Tony checked his watch. It was only just past eight, which wasn’t that early for a normal person, but Captain America was all about making the most of the day; he’d probably recorded a PSA about it for kids to be exposed to in school. Peter had told him about them, and he was saving the news for a moment when Steve got a bit too big for his boots so Tony could take him down a peg.

“He’s probably spent the night texting Ned,” he said. “He’ll be tired.”

“After yesterday, he’s got every right to be tired,” Rhodey said with a grin. “I’m guessing Pepper’s got a quiet morning, too. He and Morgan certainly burned off the energy together.”

Tony smiled fondly. He’d been pleased, though not surprised, by how well his kids had gotten along and the bond that seemed to form between them within minutes. Pepper had only been able to get her home without a fuss as she’d been fast asleep. Happy had driven Pepper’s car home while she stayed in the backseat, holding her daughter as she slept against her side. 

“He’s going to miss out on breakfast if he doesn’t wake up soon,” Sam said, stirring the huge pan of scrambled eggs that was the necessary amount with a group of nine people including three with super-sized appetites; Bruce, Steve and Peter could pack away the food.

“I’ll go see if he’s hungry,” Tony said, wandering out of the room, through the hall to knock on Peter’s bedroom door and ease it open.

Though Rhodey had teased them about the rooms that they’d be using, they weren’t that bad. Peter and Rhodey definitely had the best ones, but Tony had been able to claim one with a full-sized bed at least. Sam and Steve had to squeeze themselves into twin beds in their much smaller rooms.

The bedding was bundled around Peter’s waist, and he was curled into a ball, his face mashed into the pillow and his lips parted with soft breaths. Clutched in his hand was the Stark Phone Pepper had given him, and there was a textbook open on the bed beside the pillow. Tony thought he was right about Peter spending the night talking to his friend.

He chuckled and crossed to the bed, then gave his shoulder a small shake. “Pete, rise and shine.”

Peter’s brow scrunched and his lips pursed. “Go ‘way,” he murmured.

“Rude,” Tony scolded, though he was smiling. “Come on. Sam’s making breakfast. Baby superheroes need their food.”

Peter cracked one eye open and looked up at him. “What time s’it?”

“Breakfast time.” Tony tugged back the blankets and poked Peter’s stomach. “Come eat, or Sam is going to get all pissy.”

Peter buried his face in the pillow and groaned and then pushed himself upright and rubbed a hand over his face. “Tired,” he grumbled.

“That’ll teach you to stay up all night texting.”

“I wasn’t texting all night,” Peter said. “I was researching.”

“Researching what?”

Peter lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “The world. I wanted to catch up on what I missed, what people were doing.”

“People like Ross?” Tony asked cautiously.

Peter nodded. “I watched some of his campaign videos. How does he think using me is going to help him? His message was all about how the Avengers should have protected the world, how they’d failed. He seemed even more against superheroes than he did when he was creating the Accords.”

Tony sat on the edge of the bed. “I don’t know either, Pete, not really. Pepper says people need us to stand as the face of the return, and Steve said the same, but…” He shrugged. “None of us want to be poster-children.”

“Me either,” Peter said in a low voice.

Tony didn’t say what his bigger fear from Ross was, though Peter had already heard it from Fury. If Ross knew what Peter was capable of, he would want him as a weapon. As little as Tony wanted Peter using the Stones, it wasn’t his choice, and he’d rather have him as a protector of the world than Ross’ personal nuke.

Tony patted his leg and said, “Come, eat,” before getting to his feet. 

Peter ran a hand through his hair, then swung his legs around stood.

Tony wandered back into the kitchen in time to see Sam spooning eggs onto plates—or in Bruce’s case, a platter—at the table where everyone was seated. He took his coffee over and sat down between Rhodey and an empty seat.

Peter came in, raising a hand in return to their greetings and flopped down into the empty chair as Sam slid a loaded plate in front of him.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Rhodey said cheerfully. “Late night?”

Peter nodded and yawned. “Yeah, I was doing a little real-world research.”

“Yeah, I did some of that, too,” Barnes said. “We missed a whole lot of crazy.”

“You did,” Steve agreed. “And it’s not over yet.”

“Pepper says Connections Corp is working overtime,” Tony said. “People are getting reunited fast, so that’s good.”

“Yeah,” Peter said. “Ned’s mom was snapped, too, but his dad and sister weren’t. He’s come back to find his little sister is now technically two years older than him and preparing for college.”

“That’s got to be tough,” Sam said, his brow furrowed. “I wonder…”

“What?” Steve asked.

Sam shrugged. “Just thinking; if things were different, I’d be busy helping.”

“I tried,” Steve said, drawing Barnes’, Wanda’s, and Sam’s gaze. He cleared his throat and said, “I set up therapy groups for people struggling after. They ran once a week for each group of people, but I was doing one every day.”

“Like AA for grief,” Bucky said.

“Pretty much,” Steve said. “It was damn tough.” His eyes moved to Sam. “I don’t know how you did it for so long.”

“I liked it,” Sam said, his eyes darting to Peter, who was eating his eyes with eyes fixed on the plate. “It feels good to help.”

Tony began to eat his own eggs, listening to the murmuring voices around him in a distracted way, and then his head snapped up when his phone rang on the counter.

He pushed back his chair and rounded the table to get it, connecting the call with audio only as whoever was calling didn’t have the video capability, which meant it was a pretty basic phone for the time.

“Stark,” he answered.

“Glad to hear it,” the voice replied. “Since it was your number I called.”

“Strange?” Tony said.

“Yes. You sound surprised to hear from me. I did tell you I would be in touch again.”

“Yeah, you did,” Tony said.

Tony had almost forgotten about Strange’s departure and mission to find out more about the Stones and what they could mean for Peter. Everything else that happened had eclipsed it—Ross and the threat he posed. They did need to know more, though, and it was good he’d finally gotten in touch.

“You’re not in Wakanda anymore,” Strange stated.

“No, we had to move out. There was trouble,” Tony said.

“Yes, I heard. I come with a message from King T’Challa, too. The fates of the child’s attackers have been decided.”

Tony chanced a glance at Peter, who wasn’t looking, but he thought he was paying attention. It was possible he was actually listening to both sides of the call. His hearing was acute, and Tony wasn’t that far away.

“I need to see you,” Strange said.

“I’ll have to bring you here,” Tony said. “You can’t swirl your way in now. Peter’s amped up the security of the place. We’re close to Keene, New York. There’s a Greyhound station. How long will it take you to get there?”

“I won’t be riding a bus, so a matter of minutes,” Strange said scathingly.

“Then give me thirty minutes,” he said. “I’ll finish my breakfast and drive there to meet you. Grab yourself a coffee or something while you wait.”

“Thank you,” Strange said bitterly.

Tony ended the call and retook his seat, forking up his eggs before saying, “Strange has something to tell us. I’ll pick him up when I’ve eaten.”

“Something about the Stones? Peter asked.

“Probably,” Tony said easily.

He was downplaying it as he didn’t want Peter to worry. If it was just him to think about, he’d be halfway to Keene already to meet Strange. He wanted to know what he knew, what it might mean for Peter. He was going to act as if this wasn’t a big deal, though. and he’d warn Strange to take it easy when he arrived. Whatever this was going to be, it couldn’t be bigger than what had already happened, and they’d at least be informed.

As he chewed his breakfast, he wondered what Strange might have found out. Whatever it was, it had taken time, so he’d probably had to have dug deep for it. That made him wonder even more what it might be.

xXx

Peter was sitting on the couch between Rhodey and Wanda when he heard the truck coming, the cutting of the engine, the doors opening and closing, and then footsteps.

He gave a little shiver. He was nervous about this. He wasn’t sure what Doctor Strange could have found out about the Stones. He was more concerned that Doctor Strange himself, who hadn’t been on either side when they’d found out, was coming here to against him. He wasn’t worried about being hurt, not by Doctor Strange, but he didn’t want to face the doubts and negativity that everyone else had since abandoned.

The door opened, Tony came in first and looked around, then Doctor Strange followed. He was wearing his unusual clothes again, and his cape was twitching at the collar, almost as if it was waving.

Tony perched on the arm of the couch beside Rhodey and crossed his arms over his chest, watching their guest warily.

“Doctor Strange,” Steve said, standing with a hand extended. “Good to see you again.”

Doctor Strange shook his hand and said, “And you.”

Steve gestured him to a seat, and Doctor Strange took it. “I have news,” he said. “About the Stones and from Wakanda.”

“We don’t need the Wakanda news right now,” Tony said, giving Peter a pointed look. And making Peter hold in a sigh. He understood why Tony might think it better to shield him from the truth of what had happened to the men that attacked him, but he needed to hear it. He wasn’t a kid anymore. Even discounting the Stones and what they had done to him, he had moved past the point of being shielded when he’d joined the fight on the battlefield.

“You don’t think the child deserves to know?” Doctor Strange asked.

“His name is Peter,” Wanda corrected, leaning a little closer into Peter’s side.

He was pleased by the feeling of her arm pressing against his. Since he’d comforted her with knowledge about Vision’s last moments, she was more tactile, gentle with him. He liked the feeling that they had formed a connection, especially as he could see that some of the weight on her shoulders from her grief had been lifted. 

Doctor Strange glanced at Peter. “Yes, of course, I’m sorry. Do you want to hear the news, Peter?”

Peter looked at Tony. “I know you’re trying to protect me, but you don’t need to.” Rhodey looked pleased and nudged him with his elbow, and Peter smiled slightly before he looked back to Doctor Strange and said, “Yes, I’d like to know.”

Doctor Strange looked satisfied and said, “The men that attacked you have been sentenced.”

Peter swallowed hard. “Okay.”

“And what does that mean?” Steve asked. “What was the sentence?”

“Imprisonment,” Doctor Strange said calmly. “T’Challa considered death for them, but the feeling against their crimes was mixed among his people. It was a more cautious choice to punish for violating Wakandan law and T’Challa’s decree for Peter’s protection rather than push the case for attempted murder. They will be jailed for fifteen years each.”

Peter nodded. He was relieved. He didn’t want people to die because of him, even though he knew he would have died himself without the Stones. Tony didn’t look relieved. His jaw jutted out and teeth clamped together. Peter supposed he thought fifteen years wasn’t enough. It was enough for him. 

“And what did you learn about the Stones?” Rhodey asked.

Doctor Strange’s eyes fell on Peter again, and then quickly averted. Peter felt distinctly uncomfortable, his heart started to race, and he wiped his clammy palms on his jeans.

A dark look came into Doctor Strange’s eyes, and he said, “I actually learned more than I expected, both about their origins and abilities. As you know, we believed, from the dawn of the universe, there was nothing—"

“Yeah, we know,” Tony said, waving a hand. “Skip to the good part.”

“I don’t know it all,” Bucky said, drawing Tony’s scowl. “I’d like to hear it.”

Doctor Strange looked a little smug, and Peter wasn’t surprised to see the antagonism between him and Tony hadn’t abated.

“The story I told you was the one I knew,” he said. “It was the one recorded in my books in the Sanctum, but I found mentions of another, and so I went to Kamar-Taj, where I found ancient texts which spoke of the beginning.”

Steve leaned forwards, looking attentive, and Peter took a deep breath.

“The Stones were formed in the Big Bang which created the universe,” he said. “But it was not nothingness that existed before that moment. There was a being in the darkness.”

 _‘Nemesis…’_ Soul whispered fearfully.

“Wait, what?” Peter said.

 _‘Nemesis,’_ she said again. _‘She made us.’_

“She came before language and names,” Doctor Strange said. “At least to all recollection.”

“No,” Peter said. “She was called Nemesis.”

Doctor Strange frowned at him. “How do you know that?”

Peter shrugged. “Soul just told me.”

Doctor Strange’s eyes widened. “The Soul Stone spoke to you?”

Peter shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. “Uh… yeah.”

“Yeah, Pete talks to the Stones,” Tony said dismissively. “It’s all very interesting. What can you tell us about this Nemesis?”

Doctor Strange frowned. “Probably less than Peter can, but I will tell you what I know. Nemesis split herself into pieces in the creation of the universe, putting a separate facet of each ability she possessed in each: Power, Space, Soul, Mind, Reality, and,” he gave a small nod, “Time. But there was a piece of her that remained, her consciousness, which became the Seventh Stone. It was called Ego.”

“What does Ego do, apart from hold the consciousness?” Bucky asked.

“I don’t know,” Doctor Strange said. “There are no further writings about it. As I said, I didn’t even know it existed before I found the texts.”

All eyes fell on Peter, and they all bore similar looks of expectancy.

 _‘She is gone,’_ Power said, although he sounded uneasy for the first time since Peter had met him. _‘She can’t come back.’_

“Where is she?” Peter asked.

“I don’t know,” Doctor Strange said.

“He’s not talking to you,” Tony snapped. “Go ahead, Pete.”

“He’s speaking to the Stones now?” Doctor Strange asked incredulously.

“Yes, so shut up and listen,” Rhodey said curtly. 

“Well?” Peter said pointedly. “Where is she?”

 _‘The Ultraverse.’_ Mind said. _‘You don’t need to worry about her. She can’t come back.’_

“You’re worried,” Peter pointed out.

_‘This is something we should talk about another time. Nemesis is not an issue anymore. Tell them not to worry.’_

“But I am,” Peter said.

_‘You do not need to be.”_

Peter was surprised as Mind was being curt with him, which he never was. He was one of the most patient of them. As little as he liked to think it, he thought the Stones were scared of Nemesis, and if they were scared, he was terrified.

 _‘You don’t need to be scared,’_ he said. _‘And neither do they.’_

Peter met Tony’s expectant eyes and deliberated a moment. He could tell them what he knew, or suspected, but what good would it do? If Nemesis was trapped, did it matter that the Stones were scared of her? Was it worth scaring the people he cared about when there was no threat?

“They’re not saying much,” he said, not altogether untruthfully. “Nemesis is trapped somewhere called the Ultraverse and can’t get out.”

Rhodey let out a heavy breath and put his arm around Peter’s shoulder, tugged him into a half-hug for a moment, and then said, “That sounds good, Pete. Let us know if they offer anything else up, though.”

“I will,” Peter said, no hint of a lie finding its way into his voice.

“And I will look deeper into it,” Doctor Strange said. “I came with what I knew already as I thought you would like to hear it. Also…” He gave Peter a speculative look. “How much have you been capable of?”

“Oh, I guess some. I’ve been working with Reality more than anything.”

“Yes, I assumed it was you that created the illusion we had to pass through to get here. What else?”

“What else do you need to know?” Tony asked truculently. “Pete is handling the Stones.”

Doctor Strange gave him a pointed look. “I need to know as we all do. I personally would like to know if he is capable of reading my thoughts right now or implanting something to my mind.”

The tension in the room ratcheted up until Peter could feel it pressing against his skin like needles. He ducked his head and shifted in his seat, fighting the urge to flee. Read minds? Sure, he’d done it with Tony and Wanda, but that had been different. It was Soul, and it was because they were reaching to him. He could handle that. But implanting thoughts…

Rhodey’s arm tightened around him, and his finger tapped Peter’s chin until he looked up at him. “It’s okay,” he said. “You’re fine.”

“Is mind reading really a thing for him?” Sam asked. 

“Yes,” Peter admitted, and Wanda nodded. “It is, but it’s only happened a couple times, and the circumstances were different, and…” He drew in a shaky breath. “I couldn’t help it, but I did try to go.”

“And I stopped him,” Wanda said. “Because I didn’t mind. And it helped me.”

Peter found the urge to curl into himself. He could feel the pressure of the room around him, and he kept his head ducked so he couldn’t see anyone’s reactions.

“What was the other time?” Steve asked.

Peter flinched. “It was something different.” He forced himself to look at Tony, his eyes pleading for understanding. “It was in the hospital, when you were thinking about the wormhole. I kinda saw it as you remembered it, like I was you.”

Tony’s jaw twitched, but his eyes were sad. “I’m sorry you had to see that,” he said.

Peter shook his head quickly, rushing to defend himself. “I couldn’t control it, really. It just happened. But I know what the feeling means now, when someone else is reaching, so I won’t let it happen again.”

Rhodey pulled Peter against him for a moment and said, “We know you wouldn’t have done it otherwise, Pete. And if it happens with you and me, I’m not going to mind.” His eyes moved around the other faces in the room. “Will anyone?”

“No,” Steve said without hesitation. “It doesn’t bother me.”

“Nor me,” Sam said.

Bruce nodded and added, “Yeah, don’t feel like you’ve got to run off if it happens around me.”

Bucky ran a hand over his face. “There are some things in my life that I don’t want anyone to see, things I’m ashamed of, but since it’s not like you’re looking for it, so I guess it’s okay if you see it.”

“You know I don’t mind,” Wanda said, squeezing his hand where it was fisted on his lap.

“I do mind,” Doctor Strange stated. “There are things in my mind that I wish to keep private.”

Peter ducked his head. He didn’t imagine it happening between him and Doctor Strange, since it was unlikely he’d reach for him at all, but it was the reaction he expected. The one he’d give if it was him on the other side of the situation? Perhaps.

“And I do not wish to have things implanted in my mind,” Doctor Strange went on.

Peter flinched. “I’ve never done that, honestly. The Stones never said I could.”

But, he realized, there seemed to be a lot they’d not told him. He’d never heard about Nemesis before, and he thought there was a lot they were capable of, that _he_ was capable of, that he didn’t know about. Perhaps he had been naïve, thinking he knew what he was would be capable of and that he could use it to protect.

As if he was the one reading minds, Doctor Strange said, “I imagine there is much that they’ve not told you. Mind reading and implanting thoughts are just two of a multitude of things you are capable of with the Stones, and they are not all as innocuous as that.”

Peter felt that the room was closing in on him, and his breaths came quick. He hated that it was happening in front of everyone, that he was breaking apart, but he couldn’t control himself. He was freaking out.

Rhodey placed a hand on his chest and leaned close to speak in his ear. “Breathe, Pete. You’re fine.”

“I-I can’t… I d-don’t want…” Peter stuttered.

“You’re okay,” Tony said, coming to squat in front of him. “You heard what we said, none of us care if it happens again. It doesn’t matter what happens with the Stones, we’re with you. You know that, don’t you?”

Peter nodded, but he knew it wouldn’t be true, couldn’t be. He wouldn’t be able to bear to be around someone that could read his mind, and he didn’t think he could bear to be around them. His mind was already busy enough with the Stones talking to him, knowing what he was thinking. If he suddenly had more voices, if he heard the thoughts and feelings of the people around him… He couldn’t bear it. And to think he might be putting thoughts in other people’s minds, violating them…

“I need to go,” he found himself saying. “I need to lie down.”

 _‘You need to talk to us,”_ Power said, and he sounded a little guilty. _‘Come on, kid.’_

Peter got to his feet, edged around Tony, who had stood and placed his hands on his shoulders, to get his attention, and darted out of the room. He got into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him, and threw himself down onto the bed. 

_‘Would you like to talk to us?’_ Mind asked.

“Sure. Why the hell not? Tell me all the crazy stuff I can do that you’ve hidden from me like more mind-reading and implanting thoughts.”

 _‘We didn’t hide it,’_ Mind said, and then his voice became louder as Peter slipped into the room with them, sitting on his usual seat with his balled fists pressed against his eyes. “We were waiting until you were ready.”

“What the hell am I now?” Peter asked desperately.

“You are us,” Space said. “But you’re acting like it’s a bad thing. We told you we don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“Apart from assholes that deserve it,” Power cut in.

“You’re not helping,” Reality scolded.

“No, he’s being honest,” Peter said. “He does want to hurt people.”

“Technically, I want to defend,” Power said defensively. “Defend _you_ , and if you’d take the shackles off of us, we could.”

Peter glared at him. “How is that different? If anything, that makes me even more determined to stop you. I’m already a freak without hurting people.”

Mind’s eyes darkened, and he said. “You are not a freak. We are not freaks. Yes, you have far more power than you have been introduced to already, and it will remain that way until you’re ready for more. If you are not ready for one-hundred years, we will wait.”

Peter moaned at the idea of a century of this, knowing that would just be the beginning. 

“Peter, you don’t need to be scared of us,” Soul said gently. “The only way we can hurt anyone is if you let us, and you won’t. You are in control.”

Peter shook his head. “This is too much, too big. I won’t be…”

He trailed off. What could he say? He wouldn’t be human anymore? He wasn’t anyway; he was enhanced, a mutant. He wouldn’t be Peter? He thought it was already too late for that. He thought he could handle this kind of power, but he couldn’t. It was too much. It would control him, and he would be a threat.

“You will be fine,” Power said lazily. “Nothing’s changed. You’ve been capable of all this since we joined you. You’ve just got to wrap your mind around it.”

Peter started to reply, and then the faces around him seemed to shimmer, and he found himself back in his bedroom, his phone vibrating on the table. He’d put it on silent as Ned had been texting late, and he didn’t want to wake anyone up. He picked it up, wondering who’d be calling. No one that lived there would call when they could just hammer on the door instead, and Ned had said he and his family were going to visit his grandparents to reconnect after everything that had happened. 

There was no number displayed, and he felt a little wary as he connected the call. The hologram appeared, and he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. It was a playground, busy with children on the climbing frame and swings and parents hovering around them. Then he spotted Morgan, and his heart stopped. She was walking towards the swings with Pepper holding her hand, and clearly, in the center of her back was the red dot of a sniper.

“Morgan!” he gasped.

Though he couldn’t see the caller, he heard the menacing voice clearly. “You will come to us, or she will die.”

Peter flinched, and his eyes moved to the door, wondering if it was safe to get help or if he should obey.

“If you bring anyone with you, we will kill her,” the voice said. “If you tell anyone what’s happening, we will kill her. If you do anything apart from what we tell you, she will die.”

Peter’s heart was racing, feeling like it was trying to burst out of his chest, and he licked dry lips and said, “Where do I have to go?” “Where are you?” the voice asked.

“I’m… I’m near Keene in New York. There’s a place we’re staying.”

There was a murmur in the background of the call, and then the voice said, “The Tool Shed.”

“Yes,” Peter moaned. “But you won’t be able to come here. It’s protected.”

“By the Avengers?” the voice scoffed. “We already know that. Leave now and walk towards the town. We will find you. Remember, one word to anyone of what we’re doing, and the little girl gets a bullet through the heart. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Peter croaked, and then cleared his throat and said in a firmer voice. “Yes. I am coming now.”

“Do not disconnect the call,” the voice said. “I want to be sure you don’t tell anyone what you’re doing. I am sending a man now. The gun will remain on the little girl until you’re with us.”

“I’m coming now,” Peter said. “Please don’t hurt her.”

“We will see how obedient you are before we decide anything.”

Peter closed his eyes, a tear slipping down his cheek at threat. He couldn’t let Morgan be hurt. He was sure this was Ross, or at least one of his men, and he knew what awaited him was going to be bad, but he would go to protect Morgan. He’d thought it almost the moment he met her, that he would destroy himself to protect her, and he would.

He would not let the sister he loved be hurt because of him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… *braces self* What do you think? Snarks and I discussed this idea a lot in the early stages of writing this story, and there were many incarnations with different reactions from Peter. Ultimately, Peter decided the course of the story. He would go to save Morgan without question, even holding the power he does. He would not risk her for anything by resisting.   
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhodey appeared at the door, Steve and Bruce on his heels.  
> “What’s wrong?” Rhodey asked.   
> Tony gestured around the room. “He’s gone. Peter’s taken off.”  
> Rhodey’s eyes darted around, and then he pressed a hand to his chest and said, “He won’t have gone far. He probably just needed space. He might even have heard all of what Strange said. You know how good his hearing is. He’s probably just got into the forest for a while.” He placed a hand on Tony’s arm. “We’ll find him and get him back here.”  
> Tony took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. “Yeah. We will.”  
> “I’ve got my suit here,” Rhodey said. “I’ll get it on. Home Base can scan the area better than us alone.” He squeezed Tony’s shoulder. “We’ll find him.”  
> They’d find him, get him back, but how were they supposed to help him if he’d heard everything?  
> Tony didn’t think any of them had the words to make this right for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much Prongs100 for pre-reading. 
> 
> I am particularly worried about the reaction to the direction this story is taking so I am putting up an early chapter to get the nervous anticipation over.

Tony watched Peter stumble out of the room and then heard the slam of his bedroom door. He felt an ache in his chest, and his heart wanted him to follow, but he thought Peter needed a moment alone before he would accept comfort. And he wanted to deal with the problem in the room first. 

His anger rose as he looked at the man, and he shouted, “What the hell, Strange?”

Strange looked severe. “I know that you do not want to hear this, and I don’t particularly want to say it, but the risk that child poses is huge.”

“He’s not a risk!” Tony bellowed.

Strange tugged at his sleeves. “I know it’s hard for you to hear, but it’s true. Perhaps it would be easier for you if I said it was the risk the _Stones_ pose that is huge.”

“You don’t know him,” Steve said mildly. “Queens is a good kid.”

Tony was pleased to hear his defense, as he’d been pleased when they’d all said they could handle it if Peter was to read their minds. The thought Peter had seen and felt what he’d felt going through the wormhole worried him, he hated it even. He didn’t mind the fact his memory had been shared as much as he hated that Peter had experienced one of the worst moments of his life with him.

“I am not doubting that, but he is _not_ just a kid,” Strange said. “He is armed with the most powerful weapons in the universe. You all care about him, I can see that, but you have to understand what you’re dealing with here.”

Tony took a step towards him, hands fisted and ready to throw a punch. “I know what I’m dealing with, thanks—a kid that I love. He’s not a threat. He is in control of the Stones. If you knew what he’s been doing with them, you’d understand.”

Strange nodded. “Yes, the portal. That is incredible power.”

“Yeah,” Rhodey said, getting to his feet to place a hand on Tony’s chest in a gesture that was evidently supposed to calm, but Tony could feel him shaking, too. “He did that to protect us from a threat that’s coming. That’s what he does—protects. It’s all he wants to do. He’s got this power, we know, and none of us are underestimating how dangerous it could be in anyone else’s hands, but it’s not. It’s in Peter’s hands, and I trust him to do the right thing with it.”

“So do I,” Wanda said, drawing all eyes. “Peter helped me through something, even though it hurt him, as he wanted to make things better for me. That is who he is.”

Bucky nodded. “Have you looked into Spider-Man at all while you’ve been gone? Do you know the kind of things he did?”

“No,” Strange admitted. “But I do not need to. This isn’t about the kind of person he is. The power he has is not going to be changed by that.”

“It is,” Tony said emphatically. “Peter will control it.”

“Will he?” Strange asked. “When he realizes what he’s capable of, will he be able to resist using them?” He held up a finger. “Soul will enable him to steal, control, manipulate, and alter living and dead souls.”

Tony flinched but spoke firmly. “He would never do it. I know him.”

Strange held up another finger. “With Time, he can see into the past and the future; stop, slow down, speed up or reverse the flow of time. He can travel through time, change the past and the future. He has none of the limitations I had with the Time Stone. He can do _anything_ he likes.”

“Wait,” Steve said. “He can actually change the future.” His eyes snapped to Tony. “I thought that was impossible.”

Tony spread his hands helplessly. “I thought it was.”

“Nothing is impossible for him anymore,” Strange said. “If he embraces the Power and Mind Stones together, he could become omnipotent and omniscient.” He looked from face to face. “Could any of you resist that kind of power if it was in your grasp?”

Tony fell back into a chair and covered his face with his hands. The truth was he wasn’t sure he could. It would be too tempting. He wouldn’t want to do it, but with that kind of temptation, he thought he would.”

“I probably couldn’t,” Rhodey said. “But Peter would. All he wants to do with these Stones is protect. He won’t hurt anyone with them.”

“He really won’t,” Sam said, surprising Tony as he didn’t have much of a connection with Peter, at least as far as he knew. “He was hurt in Wakanda since he wouldn’t let the Stones hurt the man that attacked him. He told me he had taken control of them. He won’t hurt anyone.” He ran a hand over his face. “I’ve been worried about him for a while, but I am not scared of him; my fear is for him. He’s already under so much pressure already, and now he’s really struggling, and he only knows the smallest part of it. If his ability with Soul has done this to him, what will the rest do?”

“Good question,” Rhodey said heavily.

“Yeah, but we don’t have to—”

“No, Tony,” Steve cut him off.

Tony frowned. “You don’t know what I was going to say.”

A soft laugh spread around the room as they all shook their head and looked at him. Tony’s hands fisted, feeling pinned by their amusement and annoyed.

“Yeah, I do. You don’t want to tell him,” Rhodey said. “I get it. I don’t want to put more on him either, but we don’t have the right to hide this from him. He needs to know.”

“So that he can, perhaps, _try_ to control it,” Strange said.

“No,” Rhodey said stiffly. “So he knows what’s coming. He’s going to control it no matter what. I trust him. But he needs to be warned.” He got to his feet. “And you don’t need to be here for it, Strange. Thanks for all you’ve told us, and we’ll be in touch if we need you.”

Tony gritted his teeth. He would tell Strange nothing that happened. This wasn’t about him. Peter wasn’t going to be faced with him again. He’d already done enough.

“I’ll drive you out,” Sam said, getting to his feet and steering Strange out.

Strange gave them an annoyed look and then turned back at the door and said, “I understand there are bonds here between you and the child, but do not let yourself forget what you know about him and the Stones. He needs to be watched. You have the best chance of averting disaster.”

“Sure. Fine,” Tony said dismissively. “Go.”

Strange and Sam left, and Tony waited a moment, sure he was gone, and then went to Peter’s bedroom and knocked on the door. “Pete, kid, can we talk?” There was no response at all, and Tony sighed. “Please, let me in. Talk to me.” He waited a moment and then said, “Okay, I’m coming in.”

He turned the handle and eased the door opened, already apologizing for invading his space, and then he took in the open window and the empty room. He stepped inside and checked the small attached bathroom, but it was empty.

“Rhodey!” he bellowed.

Rhodey appeared at the door, Steve and Bruce on his heels.

“What’s wrong?” Rhodey asked.

Tony gestured around the room. “He’s gone. Peter’s taken off.”

Rhodey’s eyes darted around, and then he pressed a hand to his chest and said, “He won’t have gone far. He probably just needed space. He might even have heard all of what Strange said. You know how good his hearing is. He’s probably just got into the forest for a while.” He placed a hand on Tony’s arm. “We’ll find him and get him back here.”

Tony took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. “Yeah. We will.”

“I’ve got my suit here,” Rhodey said. “I’ll get it on. Home Base can scan the area better than us alone.” He squeezed Tony’s shoulder. “We’ll find him.”

They’d find him, get him back, but how were they supposed to help him if he’d heard everything?

Tony didn’t think any of them had the words to make this right for him.

xXx

Peter woke up to a blinding light above that hurt his eyes and made his head throb. H squeezed them closed again with a groan and then, when his head had settled a little, he cracked them open a millimeter to let him grow accustomed to the glare. It took a while, and his head throbbed, but when he could open them all the way, he sat up and took stock of his surroundings.

He was lying on a cold, white tile floor. The wall behind him was made of riveted metal, but either side were transparent walls that were either made of glass or plastic that were also walls of other cells. The wall that led into the hall in front of him had no door, but there was a hatch where he supposed things like food were passed through. There was a metal toilet in the corner without a seat or lid and a cot with a blue blanket against the metal wall.

When he’d gotten to the street, he’d been met with three men standing around a black jeep, armed with guns, though it had not been a gun they’d used to incapacitate him. One of the men had approached him, gun trained on his head and threats given of Morgan’s safety if he resisted, while another man filmed what was happening. Peter had felt something cold on the back of his neck, and then an electric shock had surged through him, dropping him to the ground with his limbs jerking and muscles contracting. It had seemed to go on forever, entire minutes as the pulse ripped through him, and then he’d been sent into merciful darkness. He supposed it had taken longer to knock him out with the stun gun because of his Spider-Man resilience.

He walked to the metal wall and pressed his fingers against it. It was cold and slightly damp with condensation, which puzzled him a little.

He sat on the edge of the cot, and his fingers found the blanket. He felt the urge to wrap it around himself, to cosset, but he didn’t want to appear weak to his captors. Though what power he had here, he didn’t know. He was entirely at their mercy.

He wondered if Morgan was okay now. She had to be. He’d done what they said, given them no reason to hurt her, they had to leave her alone now, didn’t they? God, if they hurt her…

 _‘You’ll let me kill them?’_ Power asked.

Peter flinched. “No, if they hurt Morgan, I’ll kill them myself.”

_‘Huh. Unexpected. Not sure I believe you. So, when are we getting out of here?’_

“When I know it’s not going to get someone I care about hurt.”

 _‘And how are you going to be sure of that,’_ Power asked.

“Good question,” Peter replied.

_‘You know, if you’d just let us take control, we’d be out of here and the kid would be safe. There’s things you can do that you don’t know yet. Space, help me out.’_

_‘It’s true,’_ Space said. _‘I can get you out of here in an instant. You can get yourself out of here in an instant if you’re willing.’_

“How?” Peter asked.

It was Mind that answered. _‘We have never lied, and you are in control, but there is much you’re capable of that could save you and Morgan that you don’t know about. If you truly embraced us, accepted what we can do, we can get you out of here and to Morgan within seconds. You will have unimaginable power.”_

Peter frowned. _‘You mean the things Strange was talking about? Implanting thoughts?”_

 _‘That is the smallest taste of what we can do,’_ Reality said. _‘We cannot take it step by step anymore, Peter. You need to accept and embrace us. We can get you out of here and give you unimaginable power to use, but you must be willing and ready for it.’_

Before Peter could answer, he heard the creak of a door and clipping footsteps. He stood and moved to the middle of the room, hiding the fact his hands were shaking by clasping them in front of him.

He didn’t know who to expect, if it would be one of the men that had brought him here, but he didn’t imagine that it would be the man whose mission it was to get him there.

Thaddeus Ross, President of the United States, came to a stop in front of him with another dark-skinned man that Peter didn’t recognize.

They just stared at him for a moment, and then Ross said, “The eyes… They really are different, aren’t they?”

“Don’t be fooled into think he’s just ‘different,’” the man said, and Peter immediately recognized the Wakandan accent. “He is an abomination.”

“He is now,” Ross replied. “But thanks to you, he’s going to become something truly amazing.” He looked at Peter and then said, “It’s good to meet you, Peter. I am President Ross.”

“I know,” Peter said stiffly.

Ross frowned. “You sound hostile, boy. Perhaps you need to see this before we continue.” He took a phone from his pocket and tapped at it for a moment and then held it to his companion with a grunt of annoyance. “Damn, Stark tech. Bring up the live feed for me.”

The Wakandan man punched a button, and then a hologram appeared. It was Morgan, again, and Peter moved towards the barrier between them automatically, almost as if he could protect her by being closer, even though he was who knew how many miles away from her. She was on a porch swing outside a house Peter hadn’t seen, though he guessed it was Tony’s new home with her and Pepper. She was turning the pages of a book and swinging her legs. This time, the red dot was on her forehead.

“Please don’t,” he croaked. “Please. I’ll do what you say.”

“I’d like to believe that,” Ross said. “But I’ve put my faith in the wrong people before, and I’ve been let down. We’re going to tweak your circumstances a bit before we’ll believe you’ll be obedient.”

 _‘You can stop this now,’_ Power said. _‘Take off the shackles, embrace us, and we’ll get you to the kid right now.’_

But could he be faster than a bullet? He couldn’t risk it. He would ride this out until… Until he was rescued? What would happen if he was? Would they know if Morgan was in danger, or would they just come for him? If they came for him, Morgan would be killed. 

He licked his lips and said, “I will do what you want, but you have to let me make a call.”

Ross snorted. “Of course, I do. Would you like me to give Tony Stark our coordinates, or shall I just deliver you to his doorstep?”

Peter shook his head, his hands shaking. “No, but if they think I’m in trouble, they will find me. He has to think I’ve left on my own. They’ll know I’m gone by now. If I can tell him I’m okay, that I left because I wanted to, they won’t come. Please.” He couldn’t keep the pleading from his voice.

Ross considered a moment and then nodded. “I think you might be right, little spider. Okay. I’ll allow you a call, but if I think you’re trying to give him any message apart from the one I want you to give, I will kill his daughter and then his wife. Do you understand?”

Heart pounding against his ribs, Peter nodded.

“You will tell him that you need space for yourself, that you are overwhelmed by your situation, that you do not want to be found, and that you will come back when you’re ready. You will do nothing that will give away the situation you’ve found yourself in. You will not mention me.”

“I promise,” Peter whispered. 

“Do you have an untraceable phone?” Ross asked the man with him.

He nodded. “I have better than that. I have a phone that can be traced to any location you wish. Where would you like me to set coordinates?”

Ross checked his watch and considered. “Hmm… He’s had long enough to get there, yes. Set the location for Queens, New York. I’m sure he’ll believe it. No video.”

The man tapped at his phone and then opened a hatch and passed it through, slamming it shut again. Peter took it in fumbling fingers and dialed quickly, having to stop and try again three times until he was sure it was right. Then, with a deep breath, he pressed the button to connect the call and held his breath.

It was answered after a short pause, and Tony’s voice was curt. “Yes?”

Peter took a deep breath and said, “Tony, it’s me, Peter…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… What do you think? I’m a little nervous about this new development so please let me know either way. Be gentle though. I’ve had a lot of attacks in Twilight lately.   
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “That was stupid,” Ross stated. “You better hope he didn’t pick up on what you were trying to tell him.”   
> Peter swallowed the lump in his throat that had formed while talking to Tony. “I didn’t tell him anything!”   
> “You mentioned his daughter too often to be subtle.”  
> “No, he knows I love Morgan, and I’d want him to be with her. Really, he won’t be suspicious. He’ll understand.”  
> “You better hope he does,” Ross said. “He turned to the man with him. “Arrange for the surveillance on Queens to be stepped up. I want to know where Stark goes. If he’s not there… If he didn’t take the bait and instead looks for you elsewhere,” He narrowed his eyes at Peter, “we’re going to have a problem.”  
> Peter licked his lips. “He’ll go there, I know.”   
> And then, he hoped, he would go home to Morgan and protect her. He didn’t expect Tony to give up on him straight away, that was too much to hope for, but if he was with Morgan, she’d be safe. He would know she was in danger, he’d be able to tell, and he would protect her. Peter was screwed, but Morgan, the one that mattered, would be safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Prongs100 for pre-reading.   
> The reaction to the last chapter was mostly kind, so thank you for that. I am aware this story isn’t taking the direction some of you would expect, but I am happy with it. Don’t forget, it’s a series so the things you want and expect are coming, but it’s not an easy road to get there. I have established Peter’s character and taken notes from canon, and that’s what I am portraying here. That will continue in Story II and the big changes come in Story III which I am currently working on—and having an awesome time. If you’re happy to come on the journey with me until then, awesome, if you choose to stop reading, that’s a shame, and if you choose to stop reading now and wait for all the parts of the series to be posted, I understand that as I tend to only read completed stories myself.   
> I know this update is either early or later depending on your perspective, but I didn’t want to wait until Saturday before posting, even though I posted Tuesday. It’s the kind of day in which I need something good, and comment and kudos are the best.

Tony paced back and forth by the couch, his hands clenching and relaxing at intervals. Part of him was incredulous that Peter had done this, taken off, but the larger part knew he would have done the exact same thing in his position. Peter had been slammed with the news—more if he’d heard, as Rhodey believed, all of it. As mature as he was, as brave and strong, he was still just sixteen years old, and it was too much for him to take.

The worst part was that he hadn’t just taken space. Rhodey had put on the suit and searched the forest, but Home Base said there was no one out there. Peter had gone completely.

They’d gone out and asked around town if anyone had seen him, and Steve and Sam still were out there, spreading the net, but Tony had seen sent back after almost punching a gas station clerk that had been more interested in taking a selfie with him than talking about anyone he might have seen.

He ran a hand over his face and blew out a breath. The hardest part, worse even than knowing Peter was in danger of being found by Ross out there, was the fact he couldn’t help him. He wanted to talk to him about what he’d heard, work through it with him, comfort. But Peter had run away from him. Tony blamed himself for it. Things had been going so well with him, and Peter showed no reluctance when Morgan stated he was Tony’s son, but it hadn’t been enough, and that was Tony’s fault. If he been clear on how much Peter meant to him, that they could talk as and when he needed to, Peter might have stayed.

He’d let him down.

His phone rang on the table, and he snatched it up, hoping it would be Steve or Sam bringing news, but it wasn’t a number he recognized, and his greeting upon answering was curt.

“Yes.”

“Tony, it’s me, Peter…” the achingly familiar voice replied.

His breath caught, and he choked, “Peter! God, kid, where are you?”

“I can’t tell you,” Peter said, and he sounded wrecked by the words. “I need time alone. I’m safe, though, no one will find me.”

Tony squeezed his eyes closed. “Peter, please don’t do this. Let me help you. I get that you’re scared, but I can help. Please, just tell me where you are. I’ll come alone if that’s what you need.”

“I can’t,” Peter said, sounding on the verge of tears, though when he went on, his voice was impassioned. “I don’t need you anymore, but Morgan does. Go home and take care of her. She’s little, and she’s—” He cut off with a gasp, and then there was a long pause before he said, “I think you should go home, Tony. She needs you. I have to go. Go home!” The call cut off quickly, and Tony was left staring at the blank screen.

“Well?” Rhodey asked, bringing Tony’s attention to the fact he’d entered the room. Tony hadn’t even noticed.

“He won’t tell me where he is,” Tony said, voice low and defeated. “He doesn’t want me to find him. Just told me to go home.”

“The hell with that,” Rhodey said, and then shoved Tony’s shoulder. “Tony, snap out of it. You’ve got a number for him now. Track the damn call!”

Tony sucked in a shaky breath, his shocked inertia breaking, and his fingers fumbling with his phone to call up his AI. “Friday, get me a location on that call, now.”

“Yes, Boss,” she replied. There was a pause, and then she said, “The call came from Queens, New York.”

Tony cursed. “He went home! Must have hitched the whole damn way. Hell, he’s going to be found there. Ross has to be monitoring the area.”

“Then we go get him,” Rhodey said. “Come on. We can’t wait for Steve and Sam. You can fly us close in the jet.”

“Yes!” Tony said urgently, and then sense returned. “You’ll have to stay here, Rhodey. It’s no good us getting Pete back and losing you in return. And you’ll draw more attention with the APB Ross put out on you.”

Rhodey looked stricken, but he nodded and said, “Yeah, you’re right. Okay, Tone. Go get him back. Go easy on him, though. He’s scared already.”

Tony had never needed his friend’s advice less. He was worried about his kid and angry that he’d put himself at risk like this, but he wasn’t going to show it. Peter was going to get a hug when he found him, then he’d make sure, make damn sure, that he knew he could always talk to Tony about anything, that he’d never need to go it alone again. Tony would make sure Peter knew he was his son, and he loved him.

He’d left it too long already.

xXx

“I don’t need you anymore, but Morgan does,” Peter said, tears streaming down his face from fear and sadness.

He wanted Tony to come for him, to save him, but he couldn’t have that, and his need for Morgan to be protected was much stronger. She was the innocent, the one that needed protection. Peter could take care of himself, at least he could handle what they threw at him. But Morgan… She was so young, and Peter loved her so much. She was his sister, and he had to protect her.

“Go home and take care of her. She’s little, and she’s—” He gasped as he realized he’d almost slipped. He took a deep breath and then went on quickly as Ross cut a hand across his throat, a clear indication for him to get off the line. “I think you should go home, Tony. She needs you. I have to go. Go home!” He ended the call and lowered the phone to his side, tears streaming down his face unchecked.

“That was stupid,” Ross stated. “You better hope he didn’t pick up on what you were trying to tell him.”

Peter swallowed the lump in his throat that had formed while talking to Tony. “I didn’t tell him anything!”

“You mentioned his daughter too often to be subtle.”

“No, he knows I love Morgan, and I’d want him to be with her. Really, he won’t be suspicious. He’ll understand.”

“You better hope he does,” Ross said. “He turned to the man with him. “Arrange for the surveillance on Queens to be stepped up. I want to know where Stark goes. If he’s not there… If he didn’t take the bait and instead looks for you elsewhere,” He narrowed his eyes at Peter, “we’re going to have a problem.”

Peter licked his lips. “He’ll go there, I know.”

And then, he hoped, he would go home to Morgan and protect her. He didn’t expect Tony to give up on him straight away, that was too much to hope for, but if he was with Morgan, she’d be safe. He would know she was in danger, he’d be able to tell, and he would protect her. Peter was screwed, but Morgan, the one that mattered, would be safe.

“You better hope so. I don’t _want_ to kill Iron Man. He’s been useful in the past and has a reputation and image that the people of our country need to look up to. I will, though, if he becomes a nuisance. I have a far greater prize in my hands now than a man in a weaponized suit.” He tilted his head at Peter. “You are my weapon, Peter, and I am going to harness you.”

“What do you want me to do?” Peter asked weakly.

Ross smiled, a twisted thing that made Peter’s palms sweat. “I want you to do so much, but I do not believe you will be willing to take my orders just yet. But that’s okay. I have time and a plan.” He nodded to the man with him. “This is Mr. K'Tewe Thuri, you will call him sir. He is going to be… molding you.”

Peter looked at the man, assessing him. He was tall and muscular, but Peter didn’t believe it was the physical threat he posed that Ross wanted him to see. There was cunning and intelligence in his eyes that Peter thought was the bigger threat.

“What are you going to do to me?” he asked.

Ross chuckled. “You will see. Now, Peter, stand against the back wall with your arms held above your head. Mr. Thuri will be coming in. If you attack him, we will kill the child. If you resist in any way, we will kill the child. If you continue to resist after she’s dead, we will go to your good friend, Mr. Leeds, and bring him here to be your cellmate. We won’t kill him straight away, but we will make him suffer. Now, do as you’re told.”

His heart pounding, Peter set the phone down on the bed and then walked to the back wall. He held his hands above his head, the hair on his arms and the back of his neck standing on end as there was a swishing sound behind him and a rush of air on his back. He could feel someone approaching, and then cool pressure on his neck that he remembered from when he’d been taken.

He tried to brace himself, to prepare, but the electric shock that surged through him still dropped him to the floor, and he suffered for an immeasurable time before darkness took over, relieving him from the pain.

xXx

Steve stood behind Tony as he rooted through his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He fumbled with it for a moment and then inserted the right one in the lock and pushed it open.

“Pete,” he said tentatively. “Are you here?”

“How would he have gotten in without the key?” Steve whispered.

Tony huffed a laugh. “That kid can get in and out of anywhere he likes. He can climb the damn walls.”

Steve sighed. “That’ll do it.”

They edged through the hall and into the kitchen. There were no sounds to indicate anyone was there apart from them, but Tony continued through the living room and bedroom, still calling to Peter tentatively.

Steve let him go and looked around. The place was clean, and there were things dotted around that made it looked lived in, a mug and plate on the drainer, the TV remote dropped askew on the couch, but it was also almost sterilely clean. Tony had either be cleaning it himself, which seemed unlikely, or he paid someone else to do it. He wondered how often Tony came here after Peter and his aunt were gone 

Tony came back into the room, running a hand through his hair and looking strained. “He’s not here. I don’t think he’s been here at all.”

“No,” Steve agreed. “I don’t think he has.” He placed his hand on Tony’s shoulder. “But that’s a good thing. We’ve got to assume that Ross is monitoring this place in case he comes back. It’s not the end, Tony.”

Tony nodded. “No. It’s not. But it’s not what I wanted. I just…” He rubbed a hand over his face. “I wanted to find him, Steve, bring him home. I hate the idea that he’s out there alone and scared. He’s only got himself and the Stones to protect him, and we don’t know if he’ll use them.”

“I think he will,” Steve said, though not altogether confidently. “He’s smart. If he needs time to think, and god knows I would if it was me, he’s not going to get himself into trouble to take it.”

Tony’s eyes became distant, and he said quietly, in what sounded like an admission of guilt. “When he called, he told me to go home to, to take care of them, of Morgan. I don’t think he knows…” He squeezed his eyes closed. “I didn’t get it done in time.”

“Get what done?”

Tony looked away, his eyes sad and face slack. “Rhodey kept telling me I needed to make it clear how much he meant to me, that I loved him. And I do, Steve. He’s my kid in every way but blood. I didn’t tell him, though. I think if I had, he would have stuck around. He would have known what it’d do to me for him to take off, and he’d know I would be there for him no matter what happened.”

Steve knew Tony would never have admitted it to him if he hadn’t been so overwrought and desperate, and it was strange for him to see Tony allowing himself to be vulnerable. He was glad he was saying it, though, not reverting to his old ways and shutting down. It meant he could offer comfort with the hope it might be accepted.

“Tony, he knows you love him, and he loves you. He’s just taking time for himself right now. I wish he wasn’t, just like you, but I don’t think this is in any way your fault. I think he told you to go home because he thinks it’s what you need, and maybe it is. You’ve got Friday at your new place, right?”

Tony nodded. “Yeah.”

“Then maybe you should go home and work from there. Be with Pepper and Morgan, take care of them. We’ll all work to track Peter down together, and when we find him, which we will, we’ll work out whatever comes next together, too.”

Tony stared at him a moment and then shook his head. “I can’t go home yet. I’m no good to them like this, and Morgan will be full of questions. If she thinks I’m with Peter, she won’t worry. I don’t want her finding out he’s gone off. I’ll go back to base with you, hook Friday up, and work from there.” He nodded jerkily. “Yeah, we’ll find Peter together.”

Steve nodded and followed him from the apartment.

xXx

Peter came back to wakefulness lying on a cold, hard, stainless steel table with leather straps around his wrists, chest, and ankles.

Thuri was standing beside him, fiddling with the controls on a white box with dials and a plastic headset with metal discs attached by wires.

“Good, you’re awake,” he said in his heavily accented voice. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Why am I here?” Peter asked nervously.

“To be reborn.”

He picked up the headset and yanked on Peter’s hair to make him raise his head then rammed in down on him. The metal discs pressed against his forehead, cold and hard.

“This is going to be interesting,” he said. “We’ve seen from the stun gun that your body can handle a large dose of electric current at a time, so we’ve had to branch out for you.” He patted the box. “This is an electroconvulsive therapy machine. We’re going to use it to… hmm… reset you.”

Peter licked his lips. He’d heard of ECT, seen One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, and his heart began to race at the thought of what he was about to be subjected to.

“Why do you want to reset me?” he asked.

There was a laugh to his right and he turned to the side to see Ross standing by the door. “Because we need you to comply, Peter.”

The word fell strangely on Peter’s ears—what did they mean comply?

 _‘Okay, you need to quit holding back now,’_ Power said. _‘Get off that table, get out of this room, embrace and accept our power, and get the hell out of here.’_

“I can’t,” Peter murmured.

_‘Do you know what they’re going to do to you?’_

“Yes.”

“What can’t you do, Peter?” Ross asked.

 _‘The hell with this,’_ Power snapped. _‘We need to talk,’_

Peter’s eyes dimmed, and then he found himself in the room with the Stones again. He was standing behind his usual chair, and he gripped the back of it with a tight grip as Power began to speak, or perhaps shout was the right word.

“You cannot do this, Peter! Do you know who’s in control right now?” Before Peter could answer, he rushed on vehemently. “You are! You’ve shackled us, controlled us, and we cannot protect you if you don’t let us!”

“I can’t… Morgan…”

“Then embrace and accept us!” Power shouted. “Let us save you!”

“This is dangerous,” Space said, holding up a hand to silence Power. “More dangerous than you know. They will be able to use their equipment on you without us defending you, and they will hurt you. And if they succeed in their plans, you _will_ be a weapon. They will take control of you and make you do their bidding. Do you know what happened to Sergeant Barnes?”

Peter shook his head. “I know he was The Winter Soldier, and he said he hurt people, but I don’t know why.”

“He was brainwashed as you are about to be. He was under Hydra’s control. You will be under Ross’s control. Are you willing to risk that?”

“I don’t…” Peter’s heart was racing, but he knew what mattered most. “I can’t let them kill Morgan.”

“This is about more than one child,” Space said.

Peter slammed his hand down on the back of the chair with a loud bang and shouted, “No! It’s not!”

“And if they can make you a weapon?” Soul asked quietly. “If you can be used for evil?”

Peter squeezed his eyes closed, a tear falling down his cheek, and said, “I can’t let them kill my sister. She’s just a kid. I love her. I’ll stop them using me, I won’t let them make me do anything, but I can’t fight back yet.”

They all sighed, and Mind stared him in the eye. “Peter, you have taken all choices away from us but one. If you will not utilize our fullest power to escape—”

Peter stopped him with a hand cut through the air. “Can you guarantee Morgan will be safe if I do? If I do what you want, accept all the power and become what Strange was talking about, can you swear to me Morgan will be safe?”

“You will be able to protect her,” Space said.

“That’s not a guarantee,” Peter said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Power rolled his eyes. “We can’t make promises as you’ll be the one it depends upon. You will be more than capable of escaping and protecting her, but it’ll be on you to do it.”

“Then I can’t,” Peter said with a sinking sensation in his gut. “I can’t rely on myself for something this important. I’ve tried to do the right thing before and almost drowned a ferry full of people. I’m not doing it.”

Mind stared at him a moment, face inscrutable, and then said. “Then you’re leaving us no choice. There is only one way can protect the world from our power, and that is to abandon you.”

Peter’s eye widened. “You can leave? Why didn’t you do that sooner? I wouldn’t live forever, I’d be normal, and I wouldn’t be a threat.”

Mind and Soul exchanged a meaningful look, and then Mind said, “We cannot leave you. But we can withdraw. Understand, though, Peter, that you will be totally alone. They will not be able to use us as a weapon, only you, but you will be defenseless against them.” He narrowed his eyes, and his words seemed to impart a warning. “You will no longer be Worthy.”

Peter threw his hands up. “You think I care? I never wanted to be worthy. I just wanted to be me. Do whatever you want, hide or stop or whatever. That’s the right thing to do. They won’t be able to use me to do anything with you. I’ll just be me again.”

He would be Spider-Man, with that strength and resilience, but that was a far smaller threat than him with the Stones’ power.

“Very well,” Mind said. “You will be alone.”

“We’re sorry,” Soul whispered. “We’d stop it if you’d let us, but we want to do good. If they control you and us with it, they will be too dangerous—you will be too dangerous. You’d be worse than Thanos.”

Peter nodded. “I know, I get it, so just stop or whatever. I’ll handle what they’ll do to me, and you’ll be safe, locked away from them.” He looked pleadingly at Mind, who he felt he knew best, and said, “You won’t let them use you?”

“We won’t, but we will not be able to stop them from hurting you, either. This will be all on you, Peter. All you can do is fight for control of yourself and hope that Mr. Stark finds you before you run out of strength.”

Peter nodded. It wasn’t perfect, but if he was there, obeying, Morgan would be safe. He would let them hurt him if that was what happened, he wouldn’t fight back as that was the only way he could protect her, and he would fight for his own control. If that failed… He would find another way to thwart them. He might not be able to die to stop it, to kill himself, but he would find a way.

“Thank you,” he said fervently.

Mind nodded. “We will not speak again for a long time, Peter, possibly never. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“I do,” Peter said.

“No,” Power said scathingly. “You don’t. You have no idea. But you’ve made your choice, a damn stupid one, so you’re on your own. Good luck, kid. Try not to go too crazy.”

Peter winced but nodded.

He willed himself away, out of the room, and as the table and Stones disappeared, and he blinked up at a white ceiling, he heard Mind call to him once more. _‘Peter, your only defense is your strength of mind. Do not be afraid to use it if you need to be protected. You can make it all go away.’_

Peter wanted to ask what he meant, but with the last word, he felt a disconnect in his mind and knew the Stones were gone.

It was a long time before he spoke to them again, and in that time, he saw and did, suffered and hurt others, immensely.

“Ahh, you’re back,” Ross said. “Would you like to tell me what happened?”

“I… uh, I spaced out,” Peter said.

“I think you’re lying. I do not need to punish you, though. You will soon be telling me everything I ask. Thuri, prepare.”

Ross smiled cruelly and picked up a bucket from the floor. Peter heard the sloshing of water inside, and then it was being upended over him, soaking him to the skin.

“That will do,” Ross said with satisfaction. “Prepare yourself, Little Spider. You are going to learn to comply.”

Thuri took a rubber wedge from the table, yanked open Peter’s mouth, and stuffed it between his teeth. Peter gagged and tried to breathe around it, but his lungs felt empty and strained.

Ross stepped away and Thuri moved back to the machine beside the table, and he watched as he moved his hand slowly to the dial, seeming to take enjoyment in the moment, and then he turned it, and Peter’s world exploded in agony. Electrical current rippled from the pads against his temples, down his body to his toes, the water making it touch every part of him, through clothes and on his exposed skin. His head strained back, and his teeth clamped down on the rubber wedge hard enough that he thought they were going to break.

Through the pain and over his internal screams, he heard Ross say, “Enough,” and then the current disappeared.

He blinked up at Thuri, who smiled down and him and said, “Hear these words, little spider, and comply.” He leaned closed, and his smile widened to expose perfect white teeth. “Ukulangazelela… Amandla… Amanzi… Iglasi…”

The words meant nothing to Peter, but they seemed to echo in his mind, and he tried to block them out. It was hard, though, he was scared of what the words were going to do to him, and he wished he still had the Stones to distract him.

He couldn’t have them, though. They were the biggest threat there. He had to go through this alone to protect others.

And he had to go through it without fighting for Morgan’s sake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… What do you think? Who wants Thuri’s and Ross’ heads on a plate? *raises hand* I do.   
> The words used in this chapter have the following meanings:   
> Ukulangazelela — Longing.   
> Amandla — Power.   
> Amanzi — Water.   
> Iglasi — Surge.   
> At least they’re the words according to Google Translate which is notoriously crap. It was the best I could do, though.   
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Two  
> Peter shuddered in his restraints as Thuri stood over him, staring down as he repeated the words. "Ukulangazelela… Amandla seRoss… Isixhobo seRoss… Do you comply?”  
> Peter wanted to shake his head, to say no, but he couldn’t. Any resistance on his part put Morgan at risk.   
> “Do you comply?” Thuri said again.   
> “Yes,” Peter whimpered. “I comply.”  
> “Liar,” Thuri replied. “Let’s continue. “Thobela seRoss… Isigcawu… Amatye seRoss… Khusela Ross…”   
> The words seemed to reach deep into Peter, touching a place within him, and he was scared. He didn’t know what was happening, what Thuri was doing, but he knew it would lead to him being a weapon. At least the Stones weren’t there anymore. He would be the only threat, and that wasn’t that big—not compared to the Avengers.  
> If this ended the way he thought it might—probably would—they would be able to stop him. The idea that his friends, some of them family, would come for him was awful, but it was for the best, he knew. As long as Morgan was safe, nothing else mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Thank you for the support most of you showed for the last chapter. I am updating early again as I wanted to get this message out there.   
> PLEASE READ: I know some of you aren’t happy with the direction this story is taking and the choices Peter is making, but I want you to remember this is a series. Yes, Peter is choosing to protect Morgan and rely on the Avengers to stop him if he becomes a threat, but that’s a choice borne out of desperation, love, and a lack of confidence in his ability to harness the Stones. This isn’t about warping reality or visiting Aunt May and Uncle Ben—it’s the life of a four-year-old girl.   
> That said, Peter will reach that point in time. In Story II there is a lot of hurt/comfort that deals with the aftermath of Peter’s experiences on The Raft, but it ends positively with Peter finally truly accepting and embracing the power he holds. That takes us into Story III which I am currently working on in which Peter is the BAMF you are waiting for. Please, have patience. If you can’t have patience, wait until the series is complete and read all the stories in one go. We will get to that place, I promise, but we’re not racing there.   
> Thank you x

**_Day Two_ **

Peter shuddered in his restraints as Thuri stood over him, staring down as he repeated the words. "Ukulangazelela… Amandla seRoss… Isixhobo seRoss… Do you comply?”

Peter wanted to shake his head, to say no, but he couldn’t. Any resistance on his part put Morgan at risk.

“Do you comply?” Thuri said again.

“Yes,” Peter whimpered. “I comply.”

“Liar,” Thuri replied. “Let’s continue. “Thobela seRoss… Isigcawu… Amatye seRoss… Khusela Ross…”

The words seemed to reach deep into Peter, touching a place within him, and he was scared. He didn’t know what was happening, what Thuri was doing, but he knew it would lead to him being a weapon. At least the Stones weren’t there anymore. He would be the only threat, and that wasn’t that big—not compared to the Avengers.

If this ended the way he thought it might—probably would—they would be able to stop him. The idea that his friends, some of them family, would come for him was awful, but it was for the best, he knew. As long as Morgan was safe, nothing else mattered.

Thuri lifted a bucket of water and poured it over him again, and he braced himself for the pain. He didn't have to wait long. A moment later, the rubber wedge was between his teeth and electrical current was surging over him.

xXx

Tony tapped his tablet once more. “Okay, Friday, you got it?” he asked.

“Yes, Boss. I have full integration with the base’s systems. Would you like to test lockdown protocols?”

“Too late for that,” he muttered. If he could have locked down, he could have stopped Peter taking off. He’d missed his chance, so he had to use Friday to find him. “Move the search protocol onto this holo. I want to see you work.”

“Yes, Boss.”

The hologram in front of him began to flash past views of surveillance cameras all over the country for a glimpse of Peter. 

He pulled over a stool and sank down onto it, staring at the hologram, willing Friday to lock onto Peter’s face.

“Tony?”

He spun around, shadowed eyes widening with surprise when he saw Rhodey coming in with two mugs in his hands.

“Tell me that’s coffee,” he said.

Rhodey nodded and held it out. “I figured you could use it. Bruce suggested cocoa, but I don’t see you sleeping any time soon.”

Tony huffed a laugh. “That’s for damn sure.” He checked his watch. “He’s been gone thirty-six hours now. I doubt he’s slept much.”

Rhodey leaned his hip against the table and sipped his own coffee, looking thoughtful. “He might be sleeping,” he said. “We don’t know.”

“Exactly. We don’t know. He could be anywhere, doing anything. What we do know is that when he took off, he was scared and heard at least one thing that freaked him out. If he stayed long enough to hear everything Strange said, he’ll be losing his mind.” He closed his eyes and drew a shaky breath. “I just need…”

Rhodey squeezed his shoulder. “I know, Tone. I need him back, too. But I do think he’ll be okay. He’s smart and strong, and he knows the risk Ross poses. He’ll come back.”

Tony started up at him with pleading in his eyes. “When?”

Rhodey shrugged. “I don’t know, but I hope soon. If he just wraps his mind around what he found out, gets to grips with it, he’ll come home to us.”

“Home,” Tony sighed. “I hate that this is his home now, a damn SHIELD base.”

“No,” Rhodey said. “This is just where we live. His home is with us, wherever we are, and he knows it.”

Tony nodded, feeling a burning behind his eyes. That was true, they were home together, but did Peter know that? Could Tony have stopped him going if he’d told him how much he cared sooner? Would Peter have trusted him to see him through what was happening?

He didn’t know, and so he blamed himself.

xXx

**_Day Seven_ **

“Repeat after me, Peter. Amandla seRoss… Isixhobo seRoss…”

Peter’s cracked and dry lips stung as he obeyed. “Amandla seRoss… Isixhobo seRoss…”

“The power belongs to Ross, doesn’t it?”

Peter nodded, tears burning his eyes. “Yes.”

“You are Ross’s weapon, aren’t you?”

A tear slipped down Peter’s face. “Yes.”

Thuri bent over him, brown eyes staring into Peter’s rainbow ones, bloodshot and shadowed from lack of sleep and misery. “I don’t believe you.”

“I’m telling the truth,” Peter said, his voice breaking on a sob. “I am.”

Thuri shook his head. “You are not. Do you know how I can tell? Because you are crying. When you are ready, you will not feel emotion.”

Peter sucked in a breath. He didn’t know what they wanted him to do when he was ready, but he knew what they were doing to him now—brainwashing him. They wanted him under their control, under Ross’s control, to be his weapon.

He could feel it working, too. The words, though he didn’t know what they meant—he was guessing two were weapon and power—were seeping into him, making him feel something in his mind, a pressure that he used to feel with the Stones.

He missed the Stones. He wished they were talking to him still, as he thought they could help him hang on. They were gone, though, which was safer, and he was alone and scared.

All he could do was cling to Morgan. They showed her the videos of her often. He’d lost track of how long had passed since he gave himself up to them, but they’d shown him her many times since he’d arrived. He saw her playing, smiling and laughing, and he fixed her face in his mind and willed himself to be strong for her. When he had thoughts of resisting, when he was terrified and in pain, he reminded himself that this was for her. If he let them do what they wanted to him, she would be safe.

Thuri picked up the bucket and said, “Huh, we’re out. I’ll just refill this so we can get back to work.”

Peter turned his head and watched as he walked out of the heavy metal door, clanging it closed behind him, and his heart began to race.

As bad as the words were, as much as it scared him that he was losing himself, the pain was what made him feel weak. When he was hurting, it was harder to resist the urge to fight back.

xXx

Rhodey sat on the armchair, his eyes falling on his sleeping friend. Tony had crashed on the couch sometime in the night, chin resting on his chest, Friday displaying her search on his phone’s hologram. When Rhodey found him in the morning, he had laid him down and covered him in a blanket, miraculously not waking him in the process.

He was worried about his friend, more worried about Tony that he was Peter even. He had to believe Peter was taking care of himself, eating and resting wherever he was. Tony wasn’t doing either of those things. He slept when his body gave out; he ate when Rhodey put food in front of him and stood over him until he ate it.

Rhodey wished Pepper was here to help, but the only way to get her here would bring Morgan, too, and he didn’t want her to see her father like this.

“Sam said lunch is ready,” Steve said from the doorway. “You going to wake him?”

“Yeah,” Rhodey sighed. “He’s had at least a few hours, and god knows he needs to eat more.”

He got to his feet and crossed to the couch. With a tentative hand, he patted Tony’s shoulder and said, “Tone, you need to wake up. You’ve got to eat.”

When Tony didn’t stir, he shook him a little, and Tony’s eyes flew open. His hand grabbed Rhodey’s wrist and held it away, his eyes wide and darting as he called, “Peter!”

“No, it’s just me,” Rhodey said apologetically. “We’ve not heard from Pete yet.”

Tony released Rhodey’s wrist and turned his face into the couch cushions and groaned. “Friday? Anything?” he said.

“Nothing new, Boss,” she replied.

Tony pushed himself upright and raked a hand over his face, his pale skin stretching and then sagging with weariness.

Rhodey stepped back and said, “Come eat.”

Tony nodded, pushed himself to his feet, and followed Rhodey into the kitchen where Sam and Barnes were dishing up bowls of chili, and Steve was placing a basket of bread onto the table.

Tony sank down onto a chair and received the bowl Barnes placed in front of him with a grunt then picked up his fork. He began to eat in silence, shoveling the food down and swallowing as if he was in a race, not even seeming to notice that people were giving him side glances.

Steve looked at Rhodey and raised an eyebrow. Rhodey nodded.

“Uh, Tone, you might want to slow down. There’s plenty more.”

Tony stopped with the fork halfway to his mouth and frowned. “Huh?”

“You don’t need to be watching the program all the time,” Sam said. “Friday will tell you the second she finds something.”

“I know,” Tony grunted.

“Then why do you spend all day and night staring at it?”

Tony’s eyes narrowed, and he stared at Sam for a moment and then said, “Because I want to be the one that sees his face first, not Ross.”

Sam nodded, and an awkward silence fell over the room.

Tony went back to his meal, and Sam watched him for a moment and then shrugged and began to eat his own meal.

“He will come back,” Barnes stated.

Tony huffed a laugh. “Because you know him so well?”

“No, because I know what it is to be scared of yourself and to hide.”

Steve stared at him a moment, eyes sad.

“How long did it take you to come back?” Tony asked.

Barnes averted his eyes. “A while.”

“No,” Tony said. “It took two years, and you didn’t come back; you were captured. If Peter is captured…” He broke off with a wince. “This is not the same thing.” He tossed his fork down onto the table and shoved away his bowl. “It’s not the same damn thing at all!”

xXx

**_Day Thirteen_ **

“Look at the child, Peter,” Thuri commanded. “Look at her.”

Peter obeyed, fixing his eyes on the image of Morgan skipping alongside her mother down the aisle of a grocery store. Pepper was pushing a cart, and Morgan was running her fingers along the lines of pasta sauce jars. Peter could only see her from behind, but he knew she would be smiling, perhaps chattering to her mother. She would be happy.

She would be alive.

Peter had to make sure she stayed alive.

“Do you see what you have to do to protect her?” Thuri asked.

“Yes,” Peter rasped through a dry throat.

They didn’t feed him here, and the only water he got was the stuff he caught in his mouth when they doused him. However long he’d been here, it had been long enough for hunger to become the norm and for him to not even feel the gnawing pain in his stomach anymore. At times, he woke from a session in his cell, and sometimes he slept, but he was always tired, weak. The fact they weren’t taking care of human needs made him think they knew about his endless life somehow, or at least they’d guessed. The only ones that knew for sure were the Avengers, and they wouldn’t have told anyone. Or perhaps this was just another facet in his treatment here, keeping him weak. They didn’t need to. He wouldn’t fight back no matter what.

“You have to comply for her,” Thuri said. “It’s the only way to keep her safe.”

“I know,” Peter said. “I will.”

“You will in time. You need to become before you can begin.”

He upended the bucket over Peter’s again, and he gulped down air and water as he tried to relieve his parched throat even while he prepared himself for the pain that would follow.

Thuri dropped the empty bucket onto the ground, jammed the rubber wedge into Peter's mouth, and then moved to the ECT machine controls. As he turned the dial and the shocks rolled over Peter, he began to recite the words, "Amatye… Ukulangazelela… Khusela Ross…””

Even through the pain, Peter felt the words reach him, creating that strange numbness that he both relished and feared. He fixed Morgan’s face in his mind, knowing this was for her.

The surge cut off, and he was left gasping around the rubber wedge with muscles that felt like they’d been shredded by the power that had ripped through them. He tried to breathe, to calm himself, but then the current started again, and the words returned.

“Thobela seRoss… Isigcawu…”

xXx

Tony was staring at Friday’s display on the hologram as she skimmed through the images from surveillance cameras, his mind not truly focused on what he was doing but unable to look away. This was what he could do, it was how he could help, and he couldn’t make himself stop.

“Call coming through from Mrs. Stark, Boss,” Friday announced.

Tony squeezed his eyes closed with a groan and then said, “Okay, put her through.”

He pasted on a smile to greet his wife as the video feed began and felt a slight lightening in his chest as he saw her face and easy smile.

“Hey, Pep,” he said.

“Hey,” she replied. “How’s everything going with you…” She stopped and leaned towards the camera. “Tony, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Tony said, waving a hand. “Just a little tired. We’ve had a lot going on.”

She pursed her lips. “Why are you lying to me? What’s happened? Are you okay?”

Tony sagged and rubbed a hand over his face. “No, Pep, I’m not okay, but I’m safe.”

“Then what’s happened?” she asked. “Is it Peter?”

Horrifyingly, Tony felt a lump form in his throat. He nodded and whispered, “Yes.”

“What’s wrong with him?” she asked, worry etching lines into her forehead.

“He’s…. gone,” Tony said. “He took off a couple weeks ago. He heard something that freaked him out, and apart from a call in which he said he was okay the day he left, he's not been in touch, and Friday can't find him."

Pepper’s eyebrows lifted. “Well, she won’t, will she?”

Tony's mouth dropped open, and he had to make an effort to hinge it again to speak. “What?”

Pepper looked puzzled, “Tony, you won’t find him if he doesn’t want to be found. He hid the whole base you’re on, put it behind some kind of portal—you said it’s outside reality.”

A laugh bubbled up Tony’s throat and escaped him with a judder. The sound reached his ears and then fed back into his hysteria. He began to roar with laughter, incredulous at his stupidity, at all of theirs. The Avengers, Earth’s defenders, had completely overlooked the fact the kid they were all worried about was capable of removing himself from reality altogether.

“Tony!” she said, her voice raised and concerned.

Tony waved a hand and shook his head, wiping at his streaming eyes. He couldn’t talk to reassure her as he couldn’t stop the laughter.

Rhodey’s voice came from behind him, and then a heavy hand settled on his rocking shoulder. “You okay, Tone?” When Tony failed to answer, he addressed Pepper. “What’s going on, Pepper?”

“He’s been looking for Peter,” Pepper said, her surprise clear even though Tony couldn’t see her face through his tear-filled eyes.

“Yeah, we all have,” Rhodey said.

“But you won’t find him,” Pepper stated. “He can use the Stones to hide.”

Rhodey’s fingers tightened on Tony’s shoulder, and he whispered, “Damn…”

Tony sucked in a heaving breath and said, “We don’t have a chance in…” he hiccoughed a laugh, “hell.”

“No,” Rhodey agreed. “We really don’t.”

“Is everything okay?” Steve asked behind them.

Tony turned and saw them all coming in, faces bearing similar looks of surprise and concern. “Nothing’s okay,” he rasped. “We’re never going to find him.”

They all looked blank, and Rhodey explained. “Peter’s got the Stones. He’s got Reality. We’ve been looking for him with tech, CCTV, but he’s not going to be seen if he doesn’t want to be. Hell, he could be in a cabin a mile away, living on C-rations and chopping his own wood for fires, and we won’t have a clue.”

Barnes muttered a curse, and Steve looked thoroughly dumbstruck. “I didn’t even think.”

“None of you did, apparently,” Pepper said, her eyes moving to Rhodey. “Why didn’t you even tell me any of this?”

Rhodey shrugged. “I figured Tony did.”

“And I didn’t want you to worry,” Tony said, calming now. “I didn’t want Morgan to know.”

Pepper narrowed her eyes. “Do you really think I would have told her?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Look at you, Tony, you’re a mess. Go shower, eat something, and then sleep. I’ll tell Morgan you’re coming home tomorrow.”

“No, Pep, I’ve got to…”

“To what?” she asked with a quirked eyebrow. “You’re not making any difference there, but you can here. You’ve got two kids, one of which has gone off on his own for his own sake, and the other is missing her daddy and wanting to see her brother. I can’t deliver on the brother, but I can deliver on you. Sleep, eat, clean up, and then come home in the morning when you look remotely human.”

Her tone brooked no argument, and yet it didn’t anger Tony. It was actually a relief to have someone else take control. This whole thing was out of his hands, he saw that now, and not even Friday was going to be able to help him find Peter. Going home, seeing Pepper and Morgan, was the one useful thing he could do for his family.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, giving her a small smile.

“You will,” she said, the words sounding like a command. “I’ll tell Morgan.” Her eyes moved to Rhodey. “Feed him and knock him out if you need to. Make sure he sleeps.”

Rhodey gave her a small nod. “I will.”

She waved and ended the call, and Tony ran his hands over his face. “I’m not going to find him,” he sighed.

“No,” Steve agreed. “But at least now we know he’s safe.”

“Yeah,” Bruce said. “Shame none of us were smart enough to work that out two weeks ago.”

“So, what do we do?” Wanda asked.

Tony pushed himself to his feet and stretched out his back, stiff from hours of sitting. “We wait until he’s ready to come back to us, I guess.”

That wasn’t going to be easy, but Tony felt a lot better now he remembered Peter could hide himself better than anyone. Sure, he couldn’t find him, but neither could Ross.

That was the part that mattered most of all. That Peter was safe.

xXx

**_Day Twenty_ **

Peter blinked up at the ceiling lazily, making no effort to place himself in where he was or what was happening. It didn’t seem important. He wasn’t in pain anymore; he didn’t feel much of anything at all. It wasn’t a bad way to be. He had a lingering memory of pain and fear, of a driving need to get something right, but that was gone now.

He just drifted.

There were footsteps, and he turned slowly to see the man that sometimes hurt him coming into the room with a man he didn’t recognize. He had heavily-greying hair and a dark mustache. He wore a navy suit and black tie with a red stripe. He held himself tall and proud, and there was a certain quirk of excitement in his eyes.

He came to a stop beside the table Peter was strapped to and looked down at him.

“Are you sure, Thuri?” he asked.

The man that hurt Peter, Thuri apparently, said, “I cannot be sure until we release him, and even then we need to drive the message in deeper, but I think he’s compliant now. You can test it.” He looked at Peter. “This is President Ross. Do you know what that means?”

Peter felt a pressure in his mind, like a headache building, and his lips moved without his conscious instruction as he said, “I will comply.”

Ross laughed loudly. “This is excellent. I thought it would take much longer.”

“He didn’t fight hard enough, sir,” Thuri said. “The threat against the child was his defeat.”

“Yes,” Ross said. “Let’s test that. Show him the child.”

Thuri took a phone from his pocket and tapped on the screen. He held it to his ear and said, “Send feed,” and then lowered it, and a hologram appeared.

It was a little girl playing outside a house surrounded by trees. Peter had seen this girl before, they’d shown him to her, but for a moment he couldn’t connect her to a name. Then something in his mind screamed out as if in pain, not a voice but a knowledge, _‘It’s Morgan!’_ and he drew a quick breath. Morgan. He remembered Morgan.

“It’s not enough,” Thuri said. “He clearly still recognizes the child.”

He moved a hand to the phone and appeared to be about to press a button when a man appeared in the camera’s view, and Ross said, “Wait. Watch.”

Peter watched the man as he approached the little girl his breaths coming quick with a panic he didn’t understand. There was something about that man that made his heart feel like it was trying to break free from his chest, a powerful connection and need.

His mind cried out again with the answer. _‘It’s Tony’_

Peter jerked in his restraints, pulling towards the picture as if he could reach him, though something inside told him not to, that it was dangerous to show it.

Almost as if he could feel Peter reaching for him, Tony’s face snapped towards the camera, and, even at a distance, Peter could see his stress. He scooped Morgan into his arms and carried her into the house, his footsteps a little too fast to be excused as just eagerness, and Peter knew something was happening, something had worried him.

Ross and Thuri seemed just as absorbed in the video as Peter was, and their cries of alarm when the red and gold suit burst out of the house and flew toward the camera at speed were even louder than Peter’s.

“End it,” Ross shouted.

Thuri cut the feed and stared warily at Ross. “Will your operative keep his mouth shut?” he asked.

Ross shook his head. “I can’t be sure. We have to assume they’re coming.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, and his eyes fell on Peter. “We don’t have time to be gentle anymore. I want him wiped and ready for me now. No more breaks, no more rest, work on him until he is perfect.” He looked down at Peter, and he spoke between gritted teeth. “You _will_ comply.”

Peter stared back at him, feeling hope for the first time since he’d gotten that call in his bedroom. Tony _knew_ Morgan was in danger, she would be protected, and he would find out what was happening to Peter. He would come. Peter would be saved. He could fight back now.

He gritted his teeth and lifted his hands to rip himself free of the restraints, but he couldn’t; he had none of his usual strength. He could barely do more than make the leather creak. He was helpless.

Ross sneered down at him and said, “No escaping, little spider. You are here, and you _will_ comply.” He jerked his head at Thuri and said, “Get to work. I have to return to Washington and to reinforce the ranks here.” His eyes narrowed. “The Avengers will be coming, and when they do—” he pointed a finger at Peter—“I want him ready to comply!”

Thuri nodded and turned the dial that sent jolts of pain rocking through Peter and began to speak the words, with new urgency now that seemed to drive them into Peter with force. 

“Ukulangazelela… Thobela… Isigcawu… Amatye… Khusela seRoss…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Finally, right? Tony knows what’s happening and a rescue will follow. Big question—is it too late for Peter? What do you think?  
> Ukulangazelela — Longing   
> Amandla seRoss — Power for Ross   
> Isixhobo seRoss— A weapon for Ross   
> Thobela — Obey   
> Isigcawu — Spider  
> Amatye — Stones  
> Khusela seRoss — Protect Ross  
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhodey cursed loudly and then bent and dragged the man up by the collar. Holding him a foot above the ground, he shook him and shouted. "Where is he?"  
> “I don’t know,” the man groaned. “I never knew. I just follow orders. I wasn’t going to kill her, I swear!”   
> “You say that like it makes a difference,” Tony snarled. “You pointed a gun at my little girl. You are part of why my son was taken.”  
> The man's eyes darted between Rhodey and Tony, fear-filled at first, and then they narrowed, and he said, falling back into training and strength, "I was following orders."  
> “The President’s orders, right?” Rhodey stated. “I used to follow orders, too.” He swung a gauntleted fist into the man's head, making his eyes roll back in his head, and his body sag. Rhodey dropped him and pressed a hand to Tony's chest, right over the spot Tony's heart thrummed against his ribs. "We know where he is now. We can get him back."   
> “Yeah,” Tony agreed. “We know.”  
> Because there was only one place Ross would keep Peter locked down, a place designed for superheroes.  
> Peter was on The Raft.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much Prongs100 for pre-reading.   
> Thank you all for the lovely comments about the last chapter. It was great to hear from so many of you, especially some new names. I am still struggling with some of the FFnet attacks, but you were all very kind.

Tony was leaning against the counter, watching Pepper as she moved around the kitchen, gathering ingredients to make the cookies Morgan had requested for dessert. She hummed to herself as she worked, her hips moving to a beat only she could hear. He smiled as he took her in. She was the most beautiful woman in the world, and he adored her. Somehow, miraculously, he'd been lucky enough to find that she loved him, too, and between them, they'd created the marvel that was their daughter.

Though he hadn’t expected to he found it easier now he was home. He still thought of Peter, it was always in the back of his mind and often at the forefront, but he was calmer. He reminded himself that Peter was safe, more able to hide and protect himself that anyone in existence. He imagined where he might be. He suspected he’d found somewhere out of the way, a cabin like Rhodey said, and he was making a life for himself alone, working through his feelings, until he was ready to come home.

He hoped he was finding happiness wherever he was, the same way Tony was with his wife and daughter.

Pepper took the butter from the fridge and stopped as she caught sight of him watching her. “You’re staring, Mister,” she said, her smile taking the heat from her words.

“I am,” he agreed. “I am just… absorbing you.”

She raised an eyebrow. “That’s close to romantic, Tony.” She placed her warm hand on his forehead. “Hmm, no fever. You feeling okay?”

He moved her hand away and kissed her palm. “I’m allowed to be romantic sometimes. It's not like there are witnesses to it."

She laughed. “That’s true. I don’t think Friday is going to tell anyone, at least. Imagine, though, Iron Man’s cover as a hardass being busted when people find out how sweet he can be.”

Tony shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “Never gonna happen. I’ve got an image to uphold.”

Pepper stroked his cheek. “You do, and you’re very good at it. The people that matter know who you really are.”

Tony nodded and smiled, but his mind drifted to Peter again. If he really knew who Tony was, who he wanted to be for him, would he have left? He’d left Morgan to say it, tell Peter he was her brother and Tony was his father, but he’d never been able to make himself say the words. Part of it was that he didn’t want to overwhelm the kid or seem like he was trying to take his Richard or Ben Parker’s place. The other part was that he was scared Peter wouldn’t want to hear it.

He wouldn’t let that hold him back when he was there again. He would tell him how he felt, what Peter meant to him, so there was never any doubt in the kid’s mind that he loved him and needed him there.

Pepper touched a finger to the lines of sadness at the corners of his eyes and said, “Go get our girl. Tell her that she needs to help make the cookies if she wants to eat them.”

"On it," Tony said, pressing a quick kiss to her lips then heading outside, calling, "Maguna, where are you hiding?"

“Not hiding,” Morgan said, skipping towards him. “Playing.”

“Ahh, playing. Well, Momma needs help in the kitchen. She says you need to make the cookie if you want to eat them, and _I_ need you to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn’t eat all the dough.”

“In a minute?” Morgan said. “I want to show you something. I found a bug army.”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “A bug _army_?”

"Yeah. There's lots of them under the stones. I thought we could put some in a jar and see if they grow. They could be pets, and I can take them to see Peter when he's back, and he can make magic bugs to play with them, bug friends."

Tony smiled. They had told Morgan that Peter had gone on a trip with Rhodey for a while, so that was why she couldn't see him. She'd been disappointed but seemed to accept the wait after a while. She'd gone most of her life without him or any expectation she would ever meet him, so he supposed she had more patience than him.

"Sure, show me," he said, and then something caught his eye. Across the lake, there was a glint of light that seemed out of place. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Though he reminded himself there could be a perfectly innocent explanation, he was tense. There were hiking trails on the other side of the lake on the land they didn't own, and someone could have binoculars; they could be watching any of the water birds that lived on the lake. And then he spotted the red dot of light on Morgan’s back.

His heart seemed to fail and then kicked back into racing action, and he scooped her into his arm and rushed her back into the house, not running in case it made the sniper shoot, but being careful to shield her with himself.

When through the door, he dumped her in the kitchen, ignoring her protests and Pepper’s questions, and said, “Stay here. No matter what you hear, don’t come outside.”

He grabbed the bracelets from the shelf and slapped them on, running back to the door as the suit assembled around him, and Pepper shouted in alarm and Morgan began to cry.

As soon as it was on, he flew out of the house, shouting to Friday, "Lockdown the house. No one in and no one out. Protect them."

“I will, Boss,” she replied, and then he heard the slamming as the security protocols locked down the doors and windows of the house.

He shot towards the spot the light had been and spotted a man in black fatigues running along the trail towards a dirt bike.

“Call the Tool Shed and tell them we’re under attack,” he commanded. “Get them here.”

He caught the man around the back and knocked him to the floor. The man struggled, but he was nowhere near strong enough to defeat Tony in the armor. He rolled him over and bent down over him, metal fingers clasped around the man’s throat tight enough to scare and constrict but not enough to kill.

He removed his faceplate and growled. "Who are you? Why are you coming after my daughter?"

“Orders,” the man rasped.

"Whose orders?"

“I don’t know. I just got the call that told me to do it.”

Tony didn’t believe him. In fact, he thought he knew exactly whose orders this man was following. Thaddeus Damn Ross. Though why he'd target Morgan, he didn't know. What he did know was that he was going to kill him for it. 

“Were you here to kill her?” he asked.

The man glared back at him wordlessly.

Tony kept his grip on the man's throat and use his free had to fire a thruster at his upper arm, not close enough for a direct hit, just enough to graze the flesh. The man grunted with pain.

“Were you here to kill her?” he shouted.

“No,” the man groaned. “I just had to film it for them to show.”

“To show who?” Tony asked.

“Boss, War Machine is one minute out,” Friday reported.

“Thanks, Fri,” he said, then turned his attention back to the man. “Who were you filming her for?” When he failed to answer, he shot a thruster as his lower leg, closer this time and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. “Who?”

“The asset!” the man panted. “The boss needed him to see the girl was in danger so he wouldn’t fight.”

Tony’s heart, which had been racing, stopped as horror filled him. “Does Ross have Peter?”

“I don’t know the name,” he moaned. “I just follow orders. Look, man, I was just regular secret service before I got this detail. I have to track and film her for when he wants it. He calls, and I film it. That's all, I swear."

Tony released him and straightened, placing a foot on his chest to hold him down. His heart was pounding and mind reeling. Ross had Peter. All this time, weeks, he'd had Peter, and they hadn't known. Tony spent the last week imagining Peter living a peaceful like his while he worked through what he'd heard, and Ross was doing God-knew-what to him.

He heard the sound of thrusters approaching, and Rhodey touched down beside him. His hand fell on Tony's shoulder, and he said, "What's going on? Are Pepper and Morgan okay? The others are on their way in the Quinjet." When Tony failed to answer, he gave him a small shake. "Tony, talk!"

Tony licked his lips. “He’s got the kid,” he whispered.

Rhodey removed his faceplate and stared at him with horror. "Who?"

Tony shuddered. "Ross, he's got Pete." His knees shook, and it was only the suit that was keeping him upright. "Rhodey, Ross has Peter, and he had this asshole filming Morgan with a sniper rifle aimed at her." He sucked in a shaky breath, and tears filled his eyes. "Rhodey, Ross has got Peter, and he won't be fighting back!"

Rhodey cursed loudly and then bent and dragged the man up by the collar. Holding him a foot above the ground, he shook him and shouted. "Where is he?"

“I don’t know,” the man groaned. “I never knew. I just follow orders. I wasn’t going to kill her, I swear!”

“You say that like it makes a difference,” Tony snarled. “You pointed a gun at my little girl. You are part of why my son was taken.”

The man's eyes darted between Rhodey and Tony, fear-filled at first, and then they narrowed, and he said, falling back into training and strength, "I was following orders."

“The President’s orders, right?” Rhodey stated. “I used to follow orders, too.” He swung a gauntleted fist into the man's head, making his eyes roll back in his head, and his body sag. Rhodey dropped him and pressed a hand to Tony's chest, right over the spot Tony's heart thrummed against his ribs. "We know where he is now. We can get him back."

“Yeah,” Tony agreed. “We know.”

Because there was only one place Ross would keep Peter locked down, a place designed for superheroes.

Peter was on The Raft. 

xXx

Tony paced back and forth around his workshop, all eyes following him. Rhodey was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, and his back against the wall, his eyes following his friend.

He’d been here since he’d finished burying the agent’s body in the forest, too deep to be found for years, after realizing his one blow had been a little too heavy. He felt no regret, though, not yet—his fear and regret was all for Peter and what they’d missed happening. 

“We’ve got to get him back,” Tony said once again.

“We will, Tony,” Steve said. “But we’ve got to go in smart. It took me weeks to prepare to go in to free the others. I had to gauge it at a time it was on the surface for a change of staff. I had to wait.”

“I won’t wait. I will raise the damn thing myself. Friday,” he snapped, “can you hack through the tech.”

“Not from here, Boss,” she said. “I’d need to access a satellite to do it, and they are now…”

“Under the control of the government,” Tony spat. “Why the fuck did we take that contract?”

“Because you believe it would secure the country and Mrs. Stark—”

“Rhetorical question, Friday,” he said. “I don’t need an answer.”

“Okay,” Rhodey said. “Steve. How did you know the shift patterns.”

“I waited and watched,” he replied.

“Which we don’t have time to do,” Tony growled.

“Breathe, Tone,” Rhodey said. “We’ll work it out.”

“My kid is trapped on that—”

"I know!" Rhodey cut in, voice raised. "And you're not the only one feeling this way. Do you think I care any less, that this is any easier on me? I feel like crap, too. I feel guilty and pissed and worried and everything else because we didn't realize what had happened. We thought he'd taken off on his own, but now we've got to think he was drawn out to protect Morgan.”

Tony nodded curtly. “Yes. He would have gone for her.”

“He would,” Wanda agreed quietly.

“But she’s safe now,” Barnes said. “You’ve got this place locked down, right?”

Tony looked at him a moment and then nodded. “I have, but someone’s got to stay here when we go for Peter. Happy is coming over, but I need real strength here.”

“Not it,” Rhodey said quickly.

Tony’s eyes found him, and Rhodey knew what he was going to say before he opened his mouth, and he held up his hand and said, “No way, Tony.”

“I need you to,” Tony said. “I can’t stay, so I need the person I trust the most here to stay with them, someone that I knew will do anything I would for them. I know you will not hold back, do whatever it takes for them, so please.”

Rhodey turned his face away. He didn’t want to stay. He wanted to be on the mission, saving Peter. He understood Tony’s need, though. He would do whatever it took to protect Pepper and Morgan because they were his family, too, the same way he would for Peter. He’d die for them, just like Tony would. Anyone else that stayed for them would fight for them, and fight hard, but they wouldn’t have the same drive as he would.

"I'll do it," he said. "But you are going to be in touch with me the whole time. I'm connecting Home Base to Friday, and you will tell me exactly what's happening, understand?"

Tony nodded and said, “You hear that Friday?”

“Yes, Boss.”

“Do it. Create a live feed between my suit and Home Base.”

“Done,” she replied. 

“Okay, now that’s taken care of, how do we raise the Raft?” Bruce asked. “It’s not something any of us are going to be able to do. We can’t breathe underwater, and Wanda is…"

“Too unstable?” she supplied. “I am.”

“We call T’Challa,” Barnes said. “Their tech is more advanced than anyone's. They will be able to get inside the satellite.”

“And he can bring weapons,” Rhodey said. “They’ve got that knockout gun they used on you, Tony. You can get in and out without bloodshed that way.”

Tony gaped at him. “You don’t want bloodshed! Are you kidding me?”

Rhodey stared back at him, face fixed in a hard mask. “I want bloodshed. I want to kill every single person that had a part in this, but Peter won’t. The people that have him aren’t evil, at least not all of them. The Raft is manned by US Marshals, Tony. They’re following orders. Sure, they’re messed up orders, but I’ve not always agreed with the ones I’ve followed either.”

Tony glowered. “They are holding my kid prisoner! I _know_ you’ve never done anything that messed up.”

“Maybe not, but this is for Peter. Think, Tony, how will he feel if he knew people had died for him?” _More people died,_ he amended silently. _I already ended one life for Peter._ When Tony continued to look mutinous, he railed on. “He is _worthy_ , Tony. He saved the world because he felt it was the right thing to do, even though he didn’t know what it would do to him. He’s _good_. He’s not violent. He’s not taken innocent lives, and he’s never been the reason they’ve been lost the way we all are until now, and he can _never_ know about that.” He couldn’t’ bear for Peter to find out what he’d done.

“Rhodey’s right,” Bruce said. “We do this the way he would. We get him out without killing.”

Tony turned away and ran a hand through his hair. “This is ridiculous.”

“It’s not,” Steve said. “We’ve all done things we’re not proud of, and I’d like to mete out some punishment for this, but he wouldn’t so we can’t. There is a way to do it without killing, and Queens would want that, so we’ll take it. Bucky, call T’Challa and see if he can help.”

Barnes took a cell phone from his pocket and walked to the corner to make his call.

“Okay,” Tony said, voice tight with anger. “We’ll do it the kid’s way, but—” he held up a finger, “someone is dying for this, and that’s Ross. I don’t care what Peter says, wants, or does; Ross is going to pay.”

Rhodey nodded. “Agreed, but maybe we don’t have to kill him for that.”

“No,” Tony said darkly. “We do.”

“We’ll talk about that later,” Steve said. “We need to get ready. Bucky?”

Bucky lowered the phone from his ear and said, “Shuri can do it, and T’Challa will bring what we need to get in and out. He’s coming along for the delivery. His plane is faster than the Quinjet, so he’ll be here in a few hours.”

“Hours,” Tony groaned.

It seemed an eternity to Rhodey, too, but it was better that they go in with The Black Panther and his tech on their side than without. Peter had been gone for three weeks. With T'Challa's help, they could be there within four hours. They would get him back, home and safe, before dawn.

Peter was strong. He could handle four more hours, and then they could take care of him together.

It was almost over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… Almost rescue time? How are you feeling now? I’m particularly curious about your feelings for what Rhodey did to the sniper.   
> Until next time…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for coming on this journey with me. It’s been an interesting one for me, sometimes a tough one, but you have been wonderful with the overwhelming support.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for coming on this journey with me. It’s been an interesting one for me, sometimes a tough one, but you have been wonderful with the overwhelming support.  
> 1000 kudos! You have no idea what that means to me. When I started writing this story, I had no idea if anyone would read it. It was my first solo Marvel piece, and it was an idea I’d not seen done before. I didn’t think many if any of you would enjoy it. Most of you have been amazingly kind and the number of you that have left kudos on the story and that stop to comment each chapter have made all the hard work worthwhile.  
> I will be back tomorrow with Story II which is called Hold On A Second Longer, and it will cover the recovery time from With Great Power through to Story III in which we have a version of Peter I have never seen but can’t wait to share with you all.  
> One last time, thank you and I hope you enjoy the final instalment.

Rhodey stood behind the couch where Pepper and Happy sat, all eyes fixed on the hologram in front of them, which displayed the live feed of Tony's suit. It was moving jerkily as Tony paced up and down in the Quinjet.

“You need to buckle in, Tony,” Steve called from the cockpit. “We’re almost there.”

They could all hear Tony’s deep sigh through the comms connection, and Pepper spoke up, her voice pleading. “Tony, please.”

“Okay,” Tony said, voice tense.

The feed moved as he sat down beside Wanda and buckled himself in. Opposite him, T'Challa sat, hands on his knees, his face the only thing that wasn't covered by his Black Panther suit.

“This is way up there in the crazy things I’ve seen,” Happy muttered.

“I’ve seen worse,” Pepper replied. “This is leading somewhere good, though. We never had confidence in that before.”

“It is,” Rhodey agreed, eyes moving to the stairs that would lead him up to Morgan’s room where she slept peacefully, having had her bedtime story read by Happy and been tucked in by Pepper while Rhodey stood guard downstairs. 

Part of him hated that he was here, but at the same time, he blessed the fact he was. The only other way he could feel confident in Pepper and Morgan’s safety was if Tony was here instead, and that was never an option.

They were going to get Peter back; the Avengers were there with The Black Panther to save him. Rhodey would probably be excess baggage there anyway. His suit was amazing in open combat, but inside The Raft, with only the sedation guns to put people out, he'd be limited. 

“T’Challa, it’s time,” Steve said.

T’Challa pressed a finger to his ear and said, “Shuri, now.”

Though they could not see outside through Tony's view, T'Challa nodded, and Steve called, "It's coming up. They're going to know we're coming, so we've got to be prepared. And don't forget, no killing."

“We know,” Tony said bitterly.

"For Peter," Wanda murmured, and Tony's gaze moved to her, and the view bobbed as he nodded.

“We’re down,” Steve said.

Everyone got out of their seats, gathered the guns weapons T'Challa had bought for them and walked to the rear as the ramp lowered.

Pepper’s hands clasped on her lap, and Happy leaned forwards.

Tony went first, down the ramp and towards the door. He was wearing his suit but had one hand free of the gauntlets so he could hold the gun.

He reached the door, and with a single blast of a thruster, he blew it open and rushed inside. Two uniformed Marshalls appeared, guns raised and firing, and the bullets bounced off of Tony's armor.

Pepper gasped and placed her hands over her face, and Happy wrapped a hand around her shoulders and pulled her close.

Rhodey swallowed hard as Tony said, “That was your first mistake,” and with two blasts of his gun, the Marshalls were knocked out.

It had begun.

xXx

Steve fell into step beside Tony as they walked along the hall. They’d faced only a few marshals so far, but Steve knew they were waiting, preparing for them.

He had his shield held across his chest and his gun in the other hand. He had to hurry to keep up with Tony. Though he understood his urgency and felt it, too, he wished he’d be a little more careful. Tony was the safest from bullets in his suit, but the rest of them were vulnerable.

“Easy, Tony,” he said. “Stick with us.”

Tony scoffed. “It’s Peter.”

“Tony…” Pepper moaned through the comms, the connection between Home Base and Tony’s suit making it clear to them all.

“It is Queens,” Steve agreed. “And it’s all of us. Wait—” He held up a hand as the sound of footsteps reached him. “They’re coming.”

He and Tony raised their sedation guns and prepared themselves, but the footsteps had stopped ahead of them where there was a turn in the hall. They were waiting beyond it.

“The hell with this,” Tony said bitterly, rushing ahead.

Steve rushed after him, hearing the two humming sounds and then thuds as Tony shot whoever he’d found. He turned the corner and saw two Marshals unconscious on the floor.

They’d come to a hallway with doors leading off of it, and he assessed a moment before saying, “Okay, we’ve got to split up. We’re all on comms. If you find Peter, call us in. Do the same if you get into trouble. And remember…”

“No killing,” Bruce intoned. “We know.”

Steve took the right door while Wanda went left. He found himself in a new hall with doors leading off. This place was a maze. He remembered searching for a long time to find his friends the last time he was here, and he was glad there were more of them this time.

His senses picked up movement to the right, and he kicked open the door and found what he supposed was usually a break room for the team that worked here. There was no one at the table, drinking the coffees or eating the food still plated on the table, but there was someone there. He looked left and right and saw the gun pointed at him. He lifted his shield, which took the bullet with a pinging sound, and then shot his own. The man collapsed, and he moved on.

xXx

“We’re under attack,” The man said. “We need you. You need to protect— Khusela. Do you understand?”

Peter nodded jerkily. 

The man tugged off the headpiece that held the ECT pads to his skin and pulled the rubber wedge from his mouth.

“Do you comply?” The man asked.

“I comply,” Peter rasped.

The man unstrapped him and yanked him upright, but Peter felt boneless, having been strapped down and shocked for so long, and he slumped sideways.

“I thought this would be a problem,” The man said. “I’ve got something for it, though.”

He rooted in his breast pocket and pulled out a needle and syringe that he jabbed into Peter's upper arm.

Peter felt the sting and then a burn that spread up his arm, across his chest to his heart, which began to race. His whole body juddered, and he felt a surge of strength and energy. He immediately slipped off of the table and squared his stance for battle.

He looked at his wrists, noting that something was missing there, but he couldn't remember what. He couldn't remember much. He knew his name was Peter. He knew he had to obey, comply, and he knew he had to protect. They were the things that were clear in his mind. The rest had slipped away in the pain and electric shocks that had rolled over him for what felt like forever.

He had lost a part of himself, he knew, but that did not feel important.

“The people that are coming for us are the enemy,” the man said. “You must stop them. They are a threat to Ross. Do you know what that means?”

Peter nodded and said, “Khusela i-ross.”

“Exactly. And to do that, you must kill.”

Peter flinched, something in his mind crying out in protest, but it was warring with the heaviness that came with his commands. He was made to protect, to fight. He was Ross's weapon. If the man said to kill for Ross, it was what he must do.

The man dragged him to the door and said, “Stay in front of me. Defend me for Ross.”

“I comply,” Peter replied.

The man eased open the door and pushed Peter out. There were men running past, the man placed a hand on his shoulder and said, “Not in that uniform. The Avengers are the threat. Do you know who the Avengers are?”

Peter considered a moment, a memory tickling at the edges of his mind and then slipping away. “No.”

The man snorted. “That’s inconvenient. No one in that uniform. Any other person. You will know them.”

“I will,” Peter agreed.

They edged along a hall, hearing shouts, hums, and thuds ahead of them, though they were far away as the sounds were distant. They moved further, and then a cry came and the man pushed open a door and tugged him inside, then slammed it and slid across a bolt.

“We’ll lie low a moment,” he said. “Let them pass. You can hear them, can’t you?”

Peter nodded.

“When it is quiet out there, I want you to tell me. We are going straight ahead, looking for stairs. When we reach the stairs, we go up, understand?”

“Yes,” Peter said.

“Good.”

Peter listened carefully, hearing the sound of footsteps running past, and then he heard a shout outside that made something in his chest twinge. It was a voice that tickled his mind, almost familiar, and it was shouting a word that he felt should have a connection to him but didn't quite meet at the center. "Queens! Where are you!"

“I’m—“ Peter started to call back, and the man’s hand clapped over his mouth.

“No,” he growled. “Ukulangazelela! Amandla! Thobela! Isigcawu!”

The words reached into Peter again, and his mind went blank. It felt better to be blank, less confusing. He liked the feeling of the words as they took away the pressure in his chest.

“I comply,” he murmured, words muffled by the man’s hand.

“Ukulangazelela! Amandla! Amanzi! Iglasi!”

Outside the door, there was a shout, and then a second voice shouted, "Steve, in here! Quick!"

There was a loud bang, and the door shook.

The man said something in a language that Peter didn’t recognize that sounded like a curse and grabbed Peter, pinning his tight against his chest. “Kill on sight,” he commanded. “No matter what the uniform. You must protect me— Khusela!”

“I will,” Peter said, raising the gun to the door, prepared to shoot the moment it opened.

There was another crash, voices shouting beyond it, a someone said, “Queens!”

“He’s in there,” another replied. “Steve, we’ve got to get in there!”

There was a curse, and then the loudest bang and the door flew open.

A man rushed in, he was wearing a blue suit with red and white stripes across the stomach and a white star barely visible above the shield, which was quickly brought up to deflect the bullets the man holding Peter rained on him.

“Shoot, Peter!” he commanded.

“Queens,” the man in the suit said. “It’s me. It’s Brooklyn.”

Peter looked at the man, searching for a connection, and then lifted the gun. It felt heavy in his hand, and his finger twitched on the trigger. Then his attention was diverted as another rushed in behind him, a man with long hair, a strong jaw, and what looked like a metal arm.

“Shoot!” the man gripping him shouted.

Peter stared at the two men, torn between complying and something in his mind that screamed at him to stop and pressure built in his chest.

“Not enough,” the man holding him said. “Shoot, boy!”

The long-haired man flinched, and the man with the shield said, "You've got one round left, right. That's a seventeen clip."

The man laughed. “One is all I need.”

Peter felt something cold and hard press against his temple, and he knew, even without being able to turn to see, that the man had turned the gun on him.

"Shoot them, or I shoot you, Peter," he said.

Peter raised the gun, aiming at the long-haired man's head, and then he stopped, time seemed to stop as something in his mind seemed to break away. He felt both free and terrified at the same time as if he was two people.

He knew what he needed to do and what the words commanded him to do, but he knew what was right. With a shaking hand, he turned the gun, brought it to his chin and pressed the muzzle into his skin, aiming to send a shot straight into his brain.

“No.”

xXx

“Tony! Get in here!” Steve bellowed in his comms. “Queens, don’t do it!”

The obvious terror in Steve's voice made Tony's heart skip a beat and then race, and he sprinted up the hall, searching for a sign of Steve or Peter and shouting his name. "Friday, where is he?" he shouted.

“Take the left,” Friday commanded. “Straight for twenty feet and then right.”

Tony obeyed, his breaths coming quick as he ran, and then he saw an open door and heard a voice within saying, “Lower the gun! Obey me!” urgently.

Tony skidded into the room, brushing Steve and Barnes aside, and his eyes took in the horror inside.

Peter was held against a man's chest, his emaciated physical appearance barely registering with the gun he was pressing to the hollow of his throat. His eyes looked oddly determined, the rainbows of his irises blazing with life, and then they widened as Tony came into view and shed his faceplate.

“Peter,” he breathed. “No!”

He heard Pepper’s gasp through the comms connection to Home Base and a groan of pain that he thought was Happy.

Peter's eyes fixed on him, and his lips parted on a whisper of, "Tony?"

“Yes,” Tony said, the word coming on a sob. “It’s me. I’m here. I’ve got you. Please, lower the gun.”

“No,” the man holding him said. “Shoot them.”

“No,” Rhodey groaned in his ear. “Tony, you’ve got to...”

The man holding Peter jerked him, the gun slipping on Peter’s throat, and said in a command, “Shoot!”

Peter's eyes moved from Tony's desperate face to Steve and Barnes, both of whom seemed to be holding their breath, and then something flared in his face and he moved. He jerked in the man's hold, his elbow driving back into the man's stomach, and then his fist coming to his throat.

The man fell back, hand clutching his neck as he rasped and gulped for air through his crushed windpipe, and Peter collapsed forward.

Steve was in front of him at once, catching him and lowering him to the ground and holding him against his chest as Barnes snatched the gun from his hand and then lifted the man that had held Peter in the air, his metal hand around the man’s throat.

He stared at the man with hatred in his eyes and snarled, “Ngengafanele ukuba umchukumise.”

“UngowakwaRoss ngoku,” he rasped in reply.

Barnes made a quick motion with his wrist, breaking the man’s neck with a satisfying snap, and throwing him into the corner of the room.

“Queens, hey, look at me,” Steve was saying. “Focus on me. We’ve got you. Look, Tony’s here.”

His name snapped Tony out of his shocked inertia, and he shed the suit and rushed forward, knees buckling in front of Peter and his hands snatching him out of Steve's arms and pulling him against his chest, hand coming to his back and face pressed against his matted hair.

“I’m here, Pete,” he said, the words coming weak and shaky. “I’m here.” He eased him back so he could look into his eyes as he said, “You’re safe.”

Peter's head gave a shake, and his dry and cracked lips moved weakly as he whispered. "I don't think I am..." His eyes, large in his gaunt face and heavily shadowed, rolled back as he became limp.

“Pete! No!” Tony said, patting his cheek. “Wake up!”

Peter's head flopped back over his arm, and his breaths came weakly. Tony stared at him in horror, his son’s weak breaths parting his cracked lips, and then a voice spoke in Tony's mind, so quiet he had to lean close to hear it, and he knew it at once as he'd heard it before on the battlefield where Peter saved them all.

It repeated the word as tears slipped down Tony's face, and he whispered his agreement to Peter's declaration. “You are. You always are.”

_“Worthy...”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... That is the end of With Great Power. Admittedly, it’s an evil place to end, but the next story is ready to go. Before you click out and fume over the cliffhanger ending, please take a moment to let me know what you thought. You have all been so amazing with the feedback for this story, and I’ve never wanted to hear your thoughts more.  
> Until the next story…  
> Clowns or Midgets xxx


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